J Korean Neurosurg Soc.  2002 Nov;32(5):453-457.

Effect of Radiofrequency Dorsal Root Entry Zone Lesion for Neuropathic Intractable Pain

• Chae YS
• Kim YS
• Cheong JH
• Yi HJ
• Oh SH
• Oh SJ

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
The authors report a retrospective analysis of the clinical effect of dorsal root entry zone (DREZ) lesioning for neuropathic intractable pain.
METHODS
Fourteen patients who underwent dorsal root entry zone lesioning for various types of pain between September 1995 and August 2001 were evaluated retrospectively. Eleven male and three female patients whose ages ranging from 35 to 70 were studied. According to causes of intractable pain, patients were divided into paraplegic pain(7 patients), peripheral nerve injury pain(3), cancer pain(3), phantom limb pain(1) and root avulsion pain(1). Other preoperative pain managements showed no benificial effects. The changes in painful symtoms were closely observed during follow up period. The mean follow period after operation was 32.4 months.
RESULTS
Postoperatively, the decrease in level of pain was classified into four groups : excellent, good, fair, poor. Excellent represented no pain without medication : Good, pain tolerable with non-opiate medicine ; Fair, pain tolerable with opiate medicine ; Poor, pain sustained. After operation, three patients were in excellent group, eight in good, one in fair, and two in poor. Twelve patients were in medically tolerable pain group accounting for 85.7%. There were no serious operation releated side effects.
CONCLUSION
DREZ lesioning, in our series, provided substantial pain relief and this may be considered an option in management of these types of intractable neuropathic pain.

Keyword

Dorsal root entry zone lesion; Intractable pain

MeSH Terms

Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Male
Neuralgia
Pain Management
Pain, Intractable*
Peripheral Nerve Injuries
Phantom Limb
Retrospective Studies
Spinal Nerve Roots*