gelified ethanol

Gelified ethanol is a viscous formulation of ethyl alcohol combined with a cellulose derivative (as a gelling agent) and a radiopaque element such as tungsten. It is primarily used as an injectable chemonucleolytic agent for minimally invasive percutaneous treatment of intervertebral disc herniations (both lumbar and cervical), and also for sclerotherapy of venous malformations. The mechanism involves dehydration and chemical ablation of the nucleus pulposus in the intervertebral disc, leading to reduction in disc volume and pressure on adjacent nerves. The addition of cellulose increases viscosity to reduce leakage risk compared to pure ethanol, while tungsten allows visualization under fluoroscopy or CT guidance[2][5][6][7]. Clinical studies report significant pain relief and functional improvement in most patients with chronic radicular pain or contained herniated discs resistant to conservative therapy[1][2][5][6]. In sclerotherapy for venous malformations, gelified ethanol provides local ablation with reduced systemic toxicity compared to liquid alcohol[7].

Brand names

DiscoGel

Other names

radiopaque gelified ethanolethanol gelAbsolute Gel