Neuroadenolysis of the pituitary

The authors describe the neuroadenolysis of the pituitary (NALP), an original antalgic technique consisting in the injection of small amounts of alcohol into the sella turcica. Used for diffuse pain from advanced cancer, NALP determines, in addition to the antalgic effect, a temporary regression in the evolution of the neoplastic disease in approximately 30% of the cases of hormonedependent tumors. The consequences and complications are generally not very serious, allowing the use of this technique in poor-risk patients. The authors also discuss the results, the mechanism of the antalgic effect and the studies carried out with a view to defining such mechanism. To this end, the authors stress the importance of the electrophysiological approach and described the first experiments involving the technique of cortical evoked potentials in patients who have undergone NALP. (Acta anaesth. belg., 1981, 32, 87-99).