• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.304-307
• /
• 1995

1,666 patients treated by nerve block from September 1994 to August 1995 we statistically analyzed according to sex, age, diseases, and kinds of nerve blocks. Most patients were in the range from 30 to 60 year old, with a distribution of 43.9% male and 56.1% female. Diseases and ailments were as follows: low back pain 30.6%, frozen shoulder 14.0%, facial spasm 10.0%, cervical syndrome 9.7%, headache 7.3%, and hyperhidrosis 7.2%. Most common nerve blocks were stellate ganglion block 30.9%, epidural block 25.6%, trigger point injection 16.1%, and suprascapular nerve block 6.7%. Nerve blocks under fluoroscopic guide were as follows: facet joint block 28.6%, spinal root block 22.9%, thoracic sympathetic ganglion block 21.7%, and lumbar sympathetic ganglion block 15.4%.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.123-125
• /
• 2001

A 50-year-old female patient developed severe right neck and upper extremity pain, hyperesthesia and allodynia during cervical epidural block. Her pain was diagnosed as neuropathic nature. She was treated with repeated stellate ganglion block (SGB) and electrical stimulation (EST). After 3 weeks of treatment, symptomatic relief was achieved, but a mild degree of hyperesthesia and motor weakness was remained. However, she refused all treatment. So treatment was stopped. In a follow-up done, 15 weeks after the nerve injury, she had recovered without complications.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.343-345
• /
• 1998

Stellate ganglion block and cervical epidural nerve block are frequently practiced in pain clinics because of simple procedure and good effect. Nerve block at head and neck may produce serious complication such as loss of consciousness and cardiac arrest. Blood supply is rich in neck and inadvertent arterial injection of local anesthetics may enter directly into brain. We experienced convulsion and respiratory arrest during SGB and cervical epidural block. The patients were resuscitated successfully and recovered without any adverse effects.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.103-105
• /
• 1988

Ramsey Hunt Syndrome occurs when herpes zoster afters the facial nerve. It causes vesicular eruption of the pinna, external auditory meaturs and ear drum, severe otalgia with associated facial paralysis and vertigo. We experienced a case of Ramsey Hunt syndrome and managed it with repeated sympathetic blocks using a stellate ganglion block. We achieved early resolution of the eruption, relief of pain and prevention of postherpetic neuralgia. We concluded that SGB was effective treatment against Ramsey Hunt Syndrome.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.87-92
• /
• 2011

Purpose : The purpose of this study is to have examined the influence on the blood circulation by comparing the differences between stimulating the sympathetic ganglion and the muscle group among the stimulation variables in interferential current stimulation and to have found out the most effective stimulating mode for the improvement the peripheral blood circulation in the interferential current stimulation. Method : The subjects of the study is the men and women in the twenties, who are in great condition and have no pathological report for the blood circulation influence. The intensity of the inferential current stimulation is the medium degree, 100 bps constant current, which is the comfort and overt degree to confirm the muscle contraction. The areas stimulated by the interferential current stimulation are the stellate ganglion area in the seventh cervical vertebrae and the forearm muscle area. The stimulating time is twenty minutes long. After stimulating the two areas, the change of the blood circulation has been measured. Results : Both stimulating the sympathetic ganglion and stimulating the muscle, before and after interferential current stimulation, we have seen that the amount of blood circulation was increased significantly and statistically in both two groups(p<.01) and that the amount of blood circulation was increased significantly and statistically in the case of stimulating the sympathetic ganglion(p<.01). Conclusion : The conclusion we received that inferential current stimulation had the clear influence on increasing the peripheral blood circulation. And stimulating the sympathetic ganglion area is more effective than stimulating muscle area directly.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.105-110
• /
• 2018

Background: A stellate ganglion block (SGB) causes increased blood flow in the maxillofacial region, exhibiting the potential for regenerative effects in damaged tissue. The focus of this study was to understand the efficacy of SGB for regenerative effects against nerve damage. A rat model of the superior cervical ganglion block (SCGB) was created instead of SGB, and facial blood flow, as well as sympathetic nervous system function, were measured. Methods: A vertical incision was made on the left side of the neck of a Wistar rat, and a 5-mm resection of the superior cervical ganglion was performed at the back of the bifurcation of the internal and external branches of the left common carotid artery. Blood flow in the skin at the mandibular angle and mean facial temperature were measured using a laser-Doppler blood flow meter and a thermographic camera, respectively, over a 5-week period after the block. In addition, the degree of ptosis and miosis were assessed over a period of 6 months. Results: The SCGB rat showed significantly higher blood flow at the mandibular angle on the block side (P < 0.05) for 3 weeks, and significantly higher skin temperature (P < 0.05) for 1 week after the block. In the SCGB rat, ptosis and miosis occurred immediately after the block, and persisted even 6 months later. Conclusions: SCGB in rats can cause an increase in the blood flow that persists over 3 weeks.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.234-238
• /
• 1992

We compared the effectiveness of vasodilator therapy with histamine and stellate ganglion block(SGB) for the treatment of sudden sensoryneural hearing impairment retrospctively. 24 patients were treated with histamine and nicotinic acid(histamine group), and 30 patients were treated with SGB(SGB group). Corticosteroids and low molecular weight dextran($Rheomacrodex^{(R)}$) were given to all patients. The degree of hearing impairment and the evidence of improvement were checked with audiogram. 52.8%(10 out of l9 follow-up ckecked patients) of patients in histamine group and 56.7%(17 out of 30) of patients in SGB group had improved within three weeks of treatment, which means both histamine and SGB are equally effective. As a consequence, we concluded that SGB ia a good substitute for histamine as a vasodilator therapy for sudden sensoryneural hearing impairment with minimal complication, few absolute contraindications, and simple and safe technique.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.266-270
• /
• 2001

An 85-year old female patient visited our pain clinic because of pin pricking pain and allodynia on the left forehead area for 2 days. Vesicular eruptions were seen along the left supraorbital nerve distribution. She experienced similar pain and eruptions on the contralateral forehead, the supraorbital counter area, 8 years previous. She had been taking antihypertensive medications for 15 years. She also had suffered from diabetes mellitus. She received a total hysterectomy and anterior posterior colporrhapy due to procidentia uteri and severe cystocele and rectocele. She had been treated intermittently for back pain due to advanced osteoarthritis and spondylosis. She was treated with famciclovir and triamcinolone acetonide with daily stellate ganglion block and supraorbital nerve block. Nortriptyline (a tricyclic antidepressant) and midazolam was prescribed to relieve pain and difficulty in sleeping. After 3 days, all treatment was ended because it was impossible to assess the severity of pain due to the senile psychosis of the patient. She eventually expired after 2 months. We report this case because it is rare for herpes zoster to recur, and particularly on the contralateral counter area.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.164-170
• /
• 2001

Background: Infrared Thermal Imaging (ITI) is an effective tool for the diagnosis of disease and evaluation of the therapeutic effects following pain treatment. Patients who were treated for pain in pain clinic described the intensity of pain and the degree of change of their pain using a visual analogue scale (VAS). In this study, the usefulness of ITI following multimodal methods for pain management were compared with the change of VAS. Methods: 1119 patients were evaluated. The patients were treated with stellate ganglion block, epidural block or trigger points injection. Before treatment, the temperature difference (${\Delta}T$) of the involved area and the corresponding area on the opposite side of the body was measured using ITI and VAS was assessed. After treatment, the temperature difference (${\Delta}T$) between the normal and involved areas, the change of ${\Delta}T$ (${\Delta}dT$), VAS and the change of VAS (${\Delta}VAS$) were measured. Statistic correlations between ${\Delta}dT$and ${\Delta}VAS$ were calculated in all groups. Results: Correlation of the ${\Delta}dT$ and ${\Delta}VAS$ was significant by contingency coefficient test. (SGB group, C = 0.358, Epi group, C = 0.377, TPI group, C = 0.374, P < 0.05) Conclusions: ITI is a reliable tool for the assessment of therapeutic effects following multidimensional management of painful disease.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.32 no.5
• /
• pp.465-470
• /
• 1999

Background: Facial hyperhidrosis patients have as much difficulty in personal relationships as the palmar and axillary hyperhidrosis patients. There have been no appropriate treatment, but recently, satisfactory results have been obtained through sympathetic blockade. Thoracoscopic thoracic sympathectomy for facial hyperhidrosis has been known to resect cervicothoracic (stellate) ganglion, but its inherent complications such as Horner syndrome have made the surgeons hesitant to use this method. We, through our experiences in treating palmar and axillary hyperhidrosis for the past 6 years, believed that T2 sympathicotomy would be enough for facial hyperhidrosis and have experimented and obtained satisfactory results. Material and Method: From June 1997 to May 1998, 38 consecutive patients underwent bilateral thoracoscopic T2 sympathicotomy with 2mm instruments at Seoul National University Hospital. Result: All patients were relieved of excessive sweating in their faces immediately after the operation. Postoperatively, 5 patients (13.2%) required insertion of chest tubes because 3 had incomplete reexpansion of the lung, and 2 had hemothorax from severe adhesion. Other complications related to the surgical procedures, such as Horner's syndrome, and brachial plexus injury, were not detected in any cases. The mean hospital stay was mean 1.7$\pm$0.9 days after surgery. Conclusion: T2 sympathetic ganglion is the appropriate resection site for facial hyperhidrosis, and complications such as Horner syndrome can be prevented by not cutting the stellate ganglion. In addition, it is possible to perform the operation by using a 2 mm thoracoscopic instrument, and may obtain much better results.