Wiener klinische Wochenschrift
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Jan 1996
[Intraventricular morphine administration as a treatment possibility for patients with intractable pain].
The treatment of intractable pain, especially in cancer patients, often sets problems to patient and therapist. While epidural and intrathecal spinal administration of opiates is a routine treatment in pain with a sub-diaphragmatic topography it is almost ineffective in cervicocephalic or thoracic cancer. An alternative here is the administration of morphine into the lateral or third ventricle by a catheter-reservoir system. ⋯ Analgesia takes effect within a few minutes and the necessary doses are low. Our results agree with those of other authors describing good to excellent results in 95% of patients with somatogenic pain. However, no or only minimal effect is achieved in the treatment of neurogenic pain by intracerebroventricular morphine therapy.