Alcohol coeliac plexus block under CT-scan guidance

We successfully performed an alcohol coeliac plexus block under CT scan guidance in a patient with intractable pain due to unresectable pancreatic cancer. The advantages of using a CT scan for a coeliac plexus block are: 1) to determine the safe point for needle insertion, the angle of the needle to the skin and the depth to the coeliac plexus prior to the block, 2) to position the needle tip properly with minimal danger of puncturing vessels or visceral organs, and 3) to determine the probable distribution of the neurolytics by use of contrast material. The safety and effectiveness of the alcohol coeliac plexus block are substantially increased by this CT-guided technique. (author)