ABSTRACT
The globus pallidus has long been the focus of attention for surgeons treating Parkinson’s disease (PD). Spiegel and Wycis, credited with ushering in human stereotactic surgery (1), are also responsible for initiating pallidal surgery. Their 1954 publication (2) reporting six patients treated with electrolytic pallidotomy described improvements in contralateral tremor and rigidity. Their target was the pallidofugal fibers of the ansa lenticularis emerging from the ventral aspect of the nucleus, making the operation more appropriately termed “ansotomy.” This was followed by Narabayashi’s (3) series of patients treated using a stereotactic device of his own design. However, he created lesions using a mixture of procaine oil, which tended to wear off and lead to the reappearance of tremor within several weeks.
