Sampson Lipton | PubMed Health

PubMed1978

Phantom limb pain treated by electrical stimulation.

Twenty patients suffering from phantom limb pain were assessed for suitability for treatment by electrical stimulator implant to the peripheral nerve or the spinal cord. Twelve were so treated and seven obtained excellent and three partial relief of pain. One patient maintains excellent relief of pain by trancutaneous electrical stimulation. Factors that might influence the responsiveness of pain to electrical stimulation and the qualitative results from such treatment are discussed.

Electric Stimulation↗

PubMed1978

Pituitary injection of alcohol for widespread cancer pain.

Moricca's technique of the pituitary injection of alcohol has been performed 155 times on 92 patients at the Centre for Pain Relief Walton Hospital, Liverpool. There were 4 post-operative death within the first week. The technique is considered to be an exceedingly useful method of relieving pain in patients suffering from widespread inoperable cancer. 40% of the patients treated had complete relief of their pain, half of these (20%) having complete relief for at least 4 months. 30% of the patients treated had some relief of pain and 30% had none. During injection, it was noted that Myodil injected before the alcohol spread along the pituitary stalk and the walls of the third ventricle. It eventually broke through into the third ventricle. It is postulated that the alcohol follows this route and the relief of pain is due to destruction of thalamic and hypothalamic nerve pathways.

Ethanol↗