Abstract:Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of morphine infusion into cisterna magna via lumbar approach in the treatment of intractable cancer pain in head and neck. Methods: The clinical data of 13 patients with advanced intractable cancer pain in head and neck who underwent lumbar puncture and continuous infusion of morphine in cisterna magna for analgesia in the pain ward of the Second Xiangya Hospital from April 2019 to October 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. Clinical data and related complications of all patients were collected: preoperative and postoperative pain score evaluated by numerical rating scale (numerical rating scale, NRS) , operation time, postoperative opioid-assisted analgesia, daily average incidence of postoperative pain outbreaks, quality of life score (Short Form-36), postoperative hospital stay, intraoperative and postoperative complications such as spinal cord injury, subarachnoid infection, cerebrospinal fluid leakage headache, urinary retention, itching, drowsiness, respiratory depression, delirium, nausea, vomiting and constipation. Results: All 13 cases of intrathecal catheterization of cisterna magna were performed within 46~78 (66.4 ±22.5) min. The one-time arrival rate of catheter was 100%. There was no adverse events such as spinal cord injury and subarachnoid infection related to lumbar puncture and cisterna magna catheterization. The NRS pain score was 7.5 ±1.2/10 before operation, 1.4 ±1.2/10 one week after operation, 1.2 ± 0.9/10 one month after operation and 0.8 ± 0.7/10 three months after operation. The average oral daily morphine dose was 148.1±46.2 mg before operation, the average intrathecal daily morphine dose was 0.2±0.046 mg one week after operation, 0.7±0.12 mg one month after operation and 1.0±0.64 mg three months after operation. There was significant statistical significance before and after operation (P < 0.05). The daily average incidence of postoperative pain outbreaks was significantly reduced in all patients and one patient needed oral morphine for analgesia. The excellent rate of analgesia in cisterna magna reached 100%. Postoperative hos pital stay was 5~11 days (7.8 ±2.5d). Adverse reactions after morphine infusion in the cisterna magna: 2 cases of cerebrospinal fluid leakage headache, 8 cases of urinary retention, 2 cases of itching, 3 cases of constipation, 1 cases of delirium. All patients were treated conservatively, and none of them had respiratory depression and catheter displacement.The SF-36 quality of life score was 31.8 ± 6.5 before operation, 42.8 ± 7.3 one week after operation, 46.1 ± 8.8 one month after operation, and 55.2 ± 10.8 three months after operation. There was significant statistical significance before and after operation (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Morphine analgesia infusion into Cisterna Magna via lumbar approach is a safe and effective central analgesia technique for the treatment of advanced intractable cancer pain in head and neck with the advantages of short operation time, significant analgesic effect, few complications and obvious improvement of quality of life.