Aims: The study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of navigated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided celiac plexus neurolysis (CPN) using a 0.4 T open magnetic resonance system.
Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 23 patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer who underwent MRI-guided CPN between January 2013 and October 2017. Clinical outcomes were evaluated by recording the complications, the opioid intake, and questionnaire before the intervention and at the time point of 1 day, 1 month, and 3 months postprocedure using a numerical visual analog scale (VAS).
Results: Navigated MRI guidance allowed the precise placement of needle in the targeted area and the visualization of the injected neurolysis agents for all cases. The VAS scores decreased from 8.8 ± 1.0 to 2.9 ± 0.9, 4.2 ± 1.7, and 4.7 ± 1.8 at 1 day, 1 month, and 3 months postprocedure (P < 0.05). This intervention reduced the dosage of opioid consumption 1 month after the procedure (52.3 ± 10.4 mg before the treatment vs. 28.2 ± 4.9 mg after the treatment; P < 0.001). Treatment-related side effects included hematoma in one patient, short episodes of diarrhea in three patients, and hypotension in four patients.
Conclusions: With the assistance of the navigation system, MRI-guided CPN is a safe and effective treatment approach for managing the upper abdominal pain in patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer.
Keywords: Celiac plexus neurolysis; interventional magnetic resonance imaging; navigated open magnetic resonance imaging system; optical tracking.