Abstract
Dorsal root entry zone thermocoagulation, that is DREZ lesioning, is useful in the treatment of pain associated with deafferentation. The procedure can control, in many cases, pain caused by avulsion of the brachial plexus, by herpes zoster infection of the spinal dorsal root ganglia, and pain due to traumatic paraplegia. All these conditions are difficult to control by other means including drug treatment, or by surgical methods like sympathectomy, rhizotomy, cordotomy or neurostimulation. The precise anatomical and physiological basis for the success of procedure is not known, but it is probably due to destruction of pain generating centers within the spinal cord as well as to the readjustment of inhibitory and excitatory inputs and the interruption of ascending and descending local reflex pathways.
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© 1987 Springer-Verlag/Wien
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Thomas, D.G.T. (1987). Dorsal Root Entry Zone (DREZ) Thermocoagulation. In: Symon, L., et al. Advances and Technical Standards in Neurosurgery. Advances and Technical Standards in Neurosurgery, vol 15. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-6984-1_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-6984-1_4
Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna
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