Central Pains and Treatment by Stereotaxic Thalamotomies

Abstract

This report deals with the current view of painconducting pathways and their mutual relation in the medulla and the thalamus, which makes it possible to understand the basis of central pain. It is stressed that a thalamotomy for parkinsonism does not give rise to a thalamic syndrome in spite of the fact that the surgical lesion is placed in the region of thalamus, where this syndrome has its origin; it is also stressed that thalamotomies in the medial nuclei of thalamus are able to combat intractable pains and central pains, even a thalamic syndrome.

VL Thalamotomy for the Treatment of Tremor in Patients with Thalamic Syndrome

“…Successful thalamotomy for thalamic pain has been reported in the lit erature [1], Ventrolateral thalamotomy should be indicated for the relief of tremor in thalamic syndrome without intractable pain.…”