Clinical Memoranda: A Flexible Cryoprobe for Cryosurgery

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Abstract
The use of cryosurgery for the treatment of neoplasms of the head and neck, both for cure or palliation, is a proved effective modality.1-3 Whereas most tumors can be reached with a straight cryoprobe or cryospray, some tumors cannot be conveniently frozen by straight probes. These tumor sites include the nasopharynx, lateral pharyngeal wall, cheek, palate, and floor of the mouth. In addition, cryosurgery has been useful in the treatment of recurrent tumor after radical or partial maxillectomy. This article will describe a newly developed flexible cryoprobe that has been found useful in the treatment of tumors that cannot be easily reached by straight cryoprobes. Technique.—The probe, shown in the Figure, consists of a flexible 17-cm-long, coiled copper wire shaft ending in a spherical tip 1 cm in diameter. The probe attaches to a commercially available liquid nitrogen reservoir, which is activated by turning a button on the

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