• Samiul Muquit, Ismail Ughratdar, Harshal Ingale, and Michael Vloeberghs.
• Department of Neurosurgery, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK. samiulm@aol.com
• Childs Nerv Syst. 2012 Jun 1;28(6):919-22.

IntroductionIntrathecal baclofen testing is usually performed via a catheter inserted at the lumbar spine. However, in patients with scoliosis, the distorted anatomy and bone fusion from corrective spinal surgery obviates access at the lumbar spine.Patients And MethodsWe report a method for inserting the intrathecal catheter via a posterior cervical approach and discuss our outcome. We describe our experience in 20 patients in whom intrathecal baclofen test catheter was inserted at the lower cervical spine. Data was collected prospectively.DiscussionThe procedure was successful in all 20 patients. There were no complications as a result of surgery or from baclofen test dose administration via a cervical catheter. Of the 20 patients, 15 went on to have baclofen pump implantation via a cervical catheter. In one patient, subsequent pump implantation procedure was unsuccessful due to presence of extradural scar tissue. In the remaining four patients pump implantation was declined due impending corrective spinal surgery or social reasons.ConclusionOur experience shows that low cervical catheter insertion for administration of a test dose of intrathecal baclofen and feasible and safe to perform via the method described.

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