Pituitary injection of alcohol for widespread cancer pain.

Moricca's technique of the pituitary injection of alcohol has been performed 155 times on 92 patients at the Centre for Pain Relief Walton Hospital, Liverpool. There were 4 post-operative death within the first week. The technique is considered to be an exceedingly useful method of relieving pain in patients suffering from widespread inoperable cancer. 40% of the patients treated had complete relief of their pain, half of these (20%) having complete relief for at least 4 months. 30% of the patients treated had some relief of pain and 30% had none. During injection, it was noted that Myodil injected before the alcohol spread along the pituitary stalk and the walls of the third ventricle. It eventually broke through into the third ventricle. It is postulated that the alcohol follows this route and the relief of pain is due to destruction of thalamic and hypothalamic nerve pathways.