Dorsal root entry zone lesions for the control of deafferentation pain: experiences in ten patients.

Experiences with radiofrequency lesions of the dorsal root entry zone in 10 patients are reported. All of these patients suffered from central (deafferentation) pain. The early postoperative results were poor in the 2 patients with traumatic paraplegia and good in all 8 patients with pain in the cervical segments. Two patients treated with cervical DREZ lesions died. In 2 of the remaining 6 patients with cervical lesions, pain recurred. Four had a good result up to 30 months after operation.