MRI Evaluation of Spinal Cord Edema After CT-Guided Percutaneous Cordotomy in Cancer Pain Patients (CORD-MRI)

February 3, 2026 updated by: Mesut Bakır, Mersin University

Evaluation of Medulla Spinalis Edema After CT-Guided Percutaneous Cervical Cordotomy Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Its Association With Postprocedural Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Cancer Pain

This observational study aims to evaluate changes in the spinal cord following CT-guided percutaneous cervical cordotomy performed for the treatment of intractable cancer-related pain. Cordotomy is a routine clinical procedure used to relieve severe pain in selected cancer patients. After the procedure, some patients may develop temporary neurological symptoms that are thought to be related to spinal cord edema.

In this study, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) will be performed as part of routine clinical follow-up on postoperative day 1 and at 1 month to assess the presence and extent of spinal cord edema. Clinical outcomes, including pain intensity and possible postprocedural symptoms, will be recorded and compared with MRI findings.

The goal of this research is to better understand the relationship between imaging changes in the spinal cord and clinical outcomes after cordotomy, which may help improve patient care and postoperative management in the future.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Percutaneous cervical cordotomy is a well-established palliative procedure used for the management of severe unilateral cancer-related pain that is refractory to medical treatment. The procedure involves CT-guided placement of a radiofrequency electrode at the C1-C2 level to create a lesion in the anterolateral spinothalamic tract, resulting in effective pain relief. Despite its efficacy, transient neurological effects such as dysesthesia, sensory disturbances, and neuropathic pain may occur following the procedure. These clinical findings are believed to be associated with postoperative changes in the spinal cord, including edema.

This prospective observational study is designed to evaluate the presence and extent of medulla spinalis edema following CT-guided percutaneous cervical cordotomy and to investigate its association with clinical outcomes.

A total of 10 to 15 adult patients with cancer-related pain who undergo cordotomy as part of routine clinical care at Mersin University Faculty of Medicine Algology Clinic will be enrolled. Eligible patients will be those aged 18 years or older with an indication for cordotomy.

All procedures will be performed under CT guidance at the C2 level using radiofrequency ablation with standard clinical parameters. No additional interventions will be applied for research purposes.

Clinical assessments will include baseline pain intensity measured using a numeric rating scale (NRS), postoperative pain scores, and evaluation of potential neurological symptoms such as dysesthesia, sensory loss, and other transient complications.

Cervical MRI will be performed as part of routine follow-up on postoperative day 1 and at 1 month. MRI images will be evaluated by a single experienced radiologist who will assess the presence, location, and extent of spinal cord edema and any additional structural changes.

The primary objective is to determine the frequency and characteristics of spinal cord edema following cordotomy as detected by MRI. Secondary objectives include evaluating the relationship between MRI findings and postoperative clinical symptoms as well as changes in pain intensity.

All collected data will be analyzed descriptively and through correlation analyses to explore associations between imaging findings and clinical outcomes.

This study aims to provide a better understanding of postoperative spinal cord changes after cordotomy and their clinical significance, potentially contributing to improved patient selection, monitoring, and management strategies.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

15

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Yenişehir
      • Mersin, Yenişehir, Turkey (Türkiye), 33110
        • Mersin University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Algology
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Adult patients with intractable cancer-related pain undergoing routine CT-guided percutaneous cervical cordotomy at a tertiary university hospital pain clinic. Participants will be followed prospectively with postoperative MRI and clinical assessments.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Adults aged 18 years and older

Patients with cancer-related pain refractory to medical treatment

Patients scheduled to undergo CT-guided percutaneous cervical cordotomy as part of routine clinical care

Ability to provide informed consent

Availability for postoperative MRI follow-up on day 1 and at 1 month

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients younger than 18 years

Patients without an indication for percutaneous cervical cordotomy

Inability to undergo MRI (e.g., incompatible implants, severe claustrophobia)

Patients who decline participation or withdraw consent

Incomplete clinical or imaging follow-up data

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Percutaneous Cervical Cordotomy Cohort
Adult patients with cancer-related pain undergoing routine CT-guided percutaneous cervical cordotomy and followed with postoperative MRI and clinical assessments.
Procedure: CT-guided Percutaneous Cervical Cordotomy
Routine clinical percutaneous cervical cordotomy performed under CT guidance using radiofrequency ablation at the C1-C2 level for the treatment of intractable cancer pain.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Presence and extent of spinal cord edema on cervical MRI after CT-guided percutaneous cordotomy
Time Frame: Postoperative day 1 and 1 month
Spinal cord edema will be evaluated on cervical MRI by a single radiologist, including presence, location, and longitudinal extent of edema.
Postoperative day 1 and 1 month

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in pain intensity measured by Numeric Rating Scale (NRS)
Time Frame: Baseline, postoperative day 1, and 1 month
Pain severity will be assessed using a 0-10 numeric rating scale.
Baseline, postoperative day 1, and 1 month

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Mersin University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Mesut Bakır, Mersin University Faculty of Medicine, Pain Clinic

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

March 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

March 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

April 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 3, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 3, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

February 10, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 10, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 3, 2026

Last Verified

February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • CORD-MRI-2026

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data will not be shared due to patient privacy concerns and institutional data protection policies. Data will be used solely for the purposes of this study and reported in aggregate form.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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