Section of the Spinothalamic Tract at the Level of the Inferior Olive

Stereotactic Focused Ultrasound Mesencephalotomy for the Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer Pain

“…Stereotactic mesencephalotomy was a historical procedure developed for cranio-cervical pain related to cancer. While spinal cordotomy proved successful for many cancer pains of the body [ 1 ], the need to treat more cephalad pain resulted in more ‘cranial’ spinothalamic lesioning at the levels of the medulla[ 2 ], pons[ 3 ], and then at the midbrain because of easier access to the nociceptive fibers from a craniotomy. [ 4 ] This first mesencephalotomy was performed by Earl Walker in 1942 - sectioning the spinothalamic and secondary trigeminal tracts from a subtemporal approach with “a 5 mm in depth incision from lateral sulcus across the brachium of the inferior colliculus.”[ 4 ] The procedure was later performed with stereotactic techniques[ 5 ] and then refined with electrical stimulation mapping.…”

Stereotactic Focused Ultrasound Mesencephalotomy for the Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer Pain

“…Stereotactic mesencephalotomy was a historical procedure developed for cranio-cervical pain related to cancer. While spinal cordotomy proved successful for many cancer pains of the body [ 1 ], the need to treat more cephalad pain resulted in more ‘cranial’ spinothalamic lesioning at the levels of the medulla[ 2 ], pons[ 3 ], and then at the midbrain because of easier access to the nociceptive fibers from a craniotomy. [ 4 ] This first mesencephalotomy was performed by Earl Walker in 1942 - sectioning the spinothalamic and secondary trigeminal tracts from a subtemporal approach with “a 5 mm in depth incision from lateral sulcus across the brachium of the inferior colliculus.”[ 4 ] The procedure was later performed with stereotactic techniques[ 5 ] and then refined with electrical stimulation mapping.…”

Stereotactic Focused Ultrasound Mesencephalotomy for the Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer Pain

“…Stereotactic mesencephalotomy was a historical procedure developed for cranio-cervical pain related to cancer. While spinal cordotomy proved successful for many cancer pains of the body [ 1 ], the need to treat more cephalad pain resulted in more ‘cranial’ spinothalamic lesioning at the levels of the medulla[ 2 ], pons[ 3 ], and then at the midbrain because of easier access to the nociceptive fibers from a craniotomy. [ 4 ] This first mesencephalotomy was performed by Earl Walker in 1942 - sectioning the spinothalamic and secondary trigeminal tracts from a subtemporal approach with “a 5 mm in depth incision from lateral sulcus across the brachium of the inferior colliculus.”[ 4 ] The procedure was later performed with stereotactic techniques[ 5 ] and then refined with electrical stimulation mapping.…”

Stereotactic Focused Ultrasound Mesencephalotomy for the Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer Pain

“…Stereotactic mesencephalotomy was a historical procedure developed for cranio-cervical pain related to cancer. While spinal cordotomy proved successful for many cancer pains of the body [ 1 ], the need to treat more cephalad pain resulted in more ‘cranial’ spinothalamic lesioning at the levels of the medulla[ 2 ], pons[ 3 ], and then at the midbrain because of easier access to the nociceptive fibers from a craniotomy. [ 4 ] This first mesencephalotomy was performed by Earl Walker in 1942 - sectioning the spinothalamic and secondary trigeminal tracts from a subtemporal approach with “a 5 mm in depth incision from lateral sulcus across the brachium of the inferior colliculus.”[ 4 ] The procedure was later performed with stereotactic techniques[ 5 ] and then refined with electrical stimulation mapping.…”