Using of MRI-guided focused ultrasound treatment for Parkinson’s disease tremor. Clinical case and literature review

Abstract

MRI-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) is a new emerging and promising procedure applied in a wide range of clinical fi elds in modern medicine. This innovative treatment method follows is an important step towards the ideal surgery of the future: non-invasive, targeted, safe, controlled, eff ective and ambulatory. Randomized studies show high effi cacy in the treatment of tremor for Parkinson disease and essential tremor. Safety is also having similar profi le with other surgical procedures and has a mostly transient character of complications. Such advantages as a non-invasive treatment, controlled eff ect and the safety profi le of the procedure made it popular in the treatment of movement disorders. This article demonstrates a clinical case of the fi rst using of MRgFUS for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease tremor at the Federal Center for Brain Research and Neurotechnologies of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia in Moscow. The 54-year-old patient with Parkinson disease, 2 Hoehn–Yahr, admitted to our hospital. Severe tremor of right upper extremity impaired his life. Neurosurgical procedure was considered due to medication failed. Patient underwent focused ultrasound thalamotomy with totally tremor relief. No additional neurological impairment was noted, only bradykinesia and rigidity were improved. Patient discharged on 3rd day after the procedure.Conclusions. MRgFUS is an innovative surgical procedure. Advantages of these methods such as non-invasive manner, controlled, safety allowed to be priority procedure for patients with unilateral tremor.