[Administration of morphine into the cerebral ventricles in chronic intractable pain]

The study evaluated the effect of intraventricular morphine administration on chronic pain associated with malignant diseases in five subjects. To facilitate repeated application of the analgesic a reservoir was fixed subcutaneously on the calvaria with the catheter tip place in the lateral ventricle. The described approach made it possible to reduce substantially the dosage and to protract the action of morphine, as compared with intramuscular administration. No serious complications developed when the described mode of application was used. Because of the technically unpretentious procedure, the simple administration into the reservoir and the significant analgetic effect this method can be used in patients with malignant pain even in advanced stages of the disease.