Influence of absorbed dose and field size on the geometry of the radiation-surgical brain lesion.

Specimens from a number of patients locally irradiated in the thalamus for intractable pain with a multiple gamma beam technique have been examined. The geometry of well circumscribed necrotic lesions was ascertained. No correlation was seen between the dimensions of the lesions and the size of the field, 3 mm X 5 mm or 3 mm X 7 mm, within the clinically useful dose range, 16 to 25 krad.