[Esthesioneuroblastoma--treatment of recurrences using the remote-control afterloading technic. A case report]

At the Radiological Hospital of the Heidelberg University, one patient with a local recurrence of an esthesioneuroblastoma situated on the left-hand side of the skull base was treated between February 11 and March 18, 1986, by an afterloading contact therapy with curative intent. After preceding surgery and percutaneous radiotherapy, repeated local recurrences and locoregional lymph node metastases had occurred. The contact therapy was performed after adjusting an individual face mask in which the afterloading probe was placed and brought into its position in the tumor region. The irradiation scheme was based on the transformation of the source coordinates form the stereoscopic X-ray localization system into the coordinate system of the computed tomogram by means of X-ray tight reference points. The irradiation planning by computed tomography allows to optimize the arrangement of sources within the tumor region. The principles of the method as well as the treatment result are presented.