Success of lateral cervical spinal cord stimulation for the treatment of chronic neuropathic refractory pain

Background: Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is traditionally performed by implanting surgical leads along the midline of the spinal cord, over the dorsal columns. Here, we present a patient who successfully underwent lateral cervical SCS to treat chronic refractory neuropathic pain.

Methods: A 46-year-old female, with a schwannoma involving the right axillary nerve, presented with a chronic refractory right upper extremity pain syndrome. The tumor was located between the fibers of the teres minor and the posterior deltoid, and measured 2.2 cm in diameter. After 8 months of analgesics, opioids, physiotherapy, and acupuncture, the patient underwent surgery; however, the tumor was unresectable (i.e., due to significant adjacent vascular/neural structures). Three months later, she had a midline C6-C7 laminectomy for placement of a right-sided epidural SCS lead (i.e., containing 16 electrode contacts).

Results: Within 4 days following this SCS procedure, the patient's pain completely resolved; at 10 postoperative months, she still remains pain free.

Conclusion: Lateral SCS at the C6-C7 level provided a safe and effective option for the relief of chronic neuropathic pain attributed to an unresectable schwannoma of the right axillary nerve in a 46-year-old female.