Stereotactic and functional neurosurgery
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Stereotact Funct Neurosurg · Jan 2009
ReviewHistoric evolution of open cingulectomy and stereotactic cingulotomy in the management of medically intractable psychiatric disorders, pain and drug addiction.
Stereotactic cingulotomy constitutes a psychosurgical procedure nowadays advocated in the treatment of medically intractable obsessive-compulsive disorder, chronic pain and drug addiction. From its theoretical conception to the first cingulectomies performed and modern stereotactic-guided cingulotomies, various target localization methods, different surgical techniques, and numerous lesioning devices have been utilized. In the current article, the authors performed a literature review related to cingular lesion placement in an effort to identify misconceptions of the past, recapitulate existing knowledge and recognize targets for further research. ⋯ The anatomic target localization methodologies, surgical technique, and the outcome of the initial stereotactic cingulotomy procedures were reviewed, and the evolution of the imaging techniques, stereotactic devices, and lesioning strategies were followed. The modern advanced surgical techniques, clinical outcome and the procedure-associated complications were analyzed with particular emphasis on the emotional, behavioral, and cognitive procedure-induced changes. Large-scale prospective studies with strict inclusion and well-defined, objective outcome criteria are necessary for defining the role of stereotactic cingulotomy in the current psychosurgical armamentarium.