10.22\ Brachytherapy

10.22.1  Discussion

Interstitial brachytherapy is sometimes performed for treating head and neck malignancies. A variety of devices are available, although the

a

c

typical brachytherapy systems consist of radiation-­emitting rods or needles that are inserted via stereotactic navigation. Imaging may be performed to assess placement and evaluate tumor response. The rods appear as transcutaneous metallic density linear structures in the region of the lesion or resection bed (Fig. 10.115).

b

Fig. 10.115  Brachytherapy rods. The patient has a history of alveolar sarcoma of small parts in the right neck soft tissues, which was previously resected. Axial (a),

sagittal (b), and coronal (c) CT images show an array of brachytherapy rods implanted in the region of the right neck resection cavity