Hostname: page-component-5c6d5d7d68-wpx84 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-08-22T02:01:44.040Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Sleep Apnea Following Percutaneous Cervical Cordotomy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2015

Bruce I. Tranmer ,
William S. Tucker  and
Juan M. Bilbao
Bruce I. Tranmer*
Affiliation:
Division of Neurosurgery & Department of Pathology, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
William S. Tucker
Affiliation:
Division of Neurosurgery & Department of Pathology, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Juan M. Bilbao
Affiliation:
Division of Neurosurgery & Department of Pathology, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
*
Division of Neurosurgery, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, 4200 E. Ninth Avenue, Box C-307, Denver, Colorado, U.S.A. 80262
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract:

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Sleep apnea (Ondine's Curse) is an uncommon but potentially fatal complication of percutaneous cervical cordotomy. The authors have had the opportunity to review the case histories of 6 patients who have died of sleep apnea following this procedure. In a series of 112 patients, 144 cervical percutaneous cordotomies were performed from 1977 to 1985 — 80 unilateral cordotomies and 32 staged bilateral cordotomies. Six (5%) patients died as the result of sleep apnea. Five patients (16%) died following bilateral cordotomy and one (1%) patient with pulmonary disease died following unilateral cordotomy. The clinical data of these 6 patients are presented and unique spinal cord pathology is described in this report. The pathophysiology of the sleep apnea syndrome is also discussed.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences , Volume 14 , Issue 3 , August 1987 , pp. 262 - 267
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation 1987

References

REFERENCES

1.Foerster, O, Gagel, O. Die Vorderseitenstrangdurchschneidungbeim Menschen. Eine klinisch-pathophysiologisch-anatomische Studie. Z Geo Neurol Psychiat 1932; 138: 1–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2.Severinghaus, JW, Mitchell, RA. Ondine’s Curse-failure of respiratory centre automaticity while awake. Clin Res 1962; 10: 122.Google Scholar
3.Tasker, RR. Percutaneous cordotomy — The lateral high cervical approach. In: Schmidek, HH, Sweet, WH, eds. Operative Neurosurgical Techniques. New York; Grune and Stratton, 1982; 1137–1154.Google Scholar
4.Schuller, A. UberoperativeDurchtrennungderRuckenmarksstrange (Chordotomie). Wien Med Wschr 1910; 60: 2292–2295.Google Scholar
5.Spiller, WG, Martin, E. The treatment of persistent pain of organic origin in the lower part of the body by division of the anterolateral column of the spinal cord. JAMA 1912; 58: 1489–1490.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6.Krieger, AJ, Christensen, HD, Sapru, HN, Wang, SC. Changes in ventilatory patterns afterablation of various respiratory feedback mechanisms. J Appl Physiol 1972; 33: 431–435.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Mullan, S, Harper, PV, Hekmatpanah, J, Torres, H, Dobben, G. Percutaneous interruption of spinal pain tract by means of a strontium needle. J Neurosurg 1963; 20: 931–939.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8.Mullan, S, Hekmatpanah, J, Dobben, G, Beckman, F. Percutaneous intramedullary cordotomy utilizing the unipolar anodal electrolytic lesion. J Neurosurg 1965; 22: 548–553.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9.Rosomoff, HL, Carroll, F, Brown, J, Sheptak, P. Percutaneous radiofrequency cervical cordotomy: Technique. J Neurosurg 1965; 23: 639–644.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10.Clough, GA, Maxwell, JA. Relieving intractable pain. The use of percutaneous cordotomy in the management of pain. J Kansas MedSoc 1969; 70: 117–119.Google ScholarPubMed
11.Rosomoff, HL. Percutaneous spinothalamic cordotomy. In: Wilkins, RH, Rengachary, SS, eds. Neurosurgery. New York, McGraw-Hill, 1985; 2446–2451.Google Scholar
12.Ehni, BL, Ehni, G. Open surgical cordotomy. In: Wilkens, RH, Rengachany, SS, eds. Neurosurgery. New York, McGraw-Hill, 1985; 2439–2445.Google Scholar
13.Hitchcock, E, Leece, B. Somatotopic representation of the respiratory pathways in the cervical cord of man. J Neurosurg 1967; 27: 320–329.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14.Kreiger, AJ, Rosomoff, HL. Sleep-induced apnea. Part I: A respiratory and autonomic dysfunction syndrome following bilateral per-cutaneous cervical cordotomy. J Neurosurg 1974; 40: 168–180.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15.Mullan, S, Hosobuchi, T. Respiratory hazards of high cervical percutaneous cordotomy. J Neurosurg 1968; 28: 291–299.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16.Rosomoff, HL, Kreiger, AJ, Kuperman, AS. Effects of percutaneous cervical cordotomy on pulmonary function. J Neurosurg 1969; 31: 620–627.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17.Belmusto, L, Brown, E, Owen, G. Clinical observations on respiratory and vasomotor disturbances as related to cervical cordotomies. J Neurosurgery 1963; 20: 225–232.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18.Nathan, >L. The descending respiratory pathways in man. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1963; 26: 487–499.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19.Remmers, >JE, Tsiaras, >WG. Effect oflateral cervical cord lesions on the respiratory rhythm of anaesthetized, decerebrate cats after vagotomy. J Physiol 1973; 233: 63–74.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20.Aoki, M, Maai, S, Kawahara, K, Watanabe, H, Ebata, N. Generation of spontaneous respiratory rhythm in high spinal cats. Brain Research 1980; 202: 51–63.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21.Lorenz, R. Methods of percutaneous spinothalamic tract section. In: Krayenbuhl, H, ed. Advances and Technical Standards in Neurosurgery, Vol 3, Wein. New York, Springer-Verlag, 1976: 1236–140.Google Scholar