Ultrasound-guided stellate ganglion block: safety and efficacy. 2014

Samer Narouze
Summa Western Reserve Hospital, Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA, narouzs@hotmail.com.

Cervical sympathetic and stellate ganglion blocks (SGB) provide a valuable diagnostic and therapeutic benefit to sympathetically maintained pain syndromes in the head, neck, and upper extremity. With the ongoing efforts to improve the safety of the procedure, the techniques for SGB have evolved over time, from the use of the standard blind technique, to fluoroscopy, and recently to the ultrasound (US)-guided approach. Over the past few years, there has been a growing interest in the ultrasound-guided technique and the many advantages that it might offer. Fluoroscopy is a reliable method for identifying bony surfaces, which facilitates identifying the C6 and C7 transverse processes. However, this is only a surrogate marker for the cervical sympathetic trunk. The ideal placement of the needle tip should be anterolateral to the longus colli muscle, deep to the prevertebral fascia (to avoid spread along the carotid sheath) but superficial to the fascia investing the longus colli muscle (to avoid injecting into the muscle substance). Identifying the correct fascial plane can be achieved with ultrasound guidance, thus facilitating the caudal spread of the injectate to reach the stellate ganglion at C7-T1 level, even if the needle is placed at C6 level. This allows for a more effective and precise sympathetic block with the use of a small injectate volume. Ultrasound-guided SGB may also improve the safety of the procedure by direct visualization of vascular structures (inferior thyroidal, cervical, vertebral, and carotid arteries) and soft tissue structures (thyroid, esophagus, and nerve roots). Accordingly, the risk of vascular and soft tissue injury may be minimized.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007267 Injections Introduction of substances into the body using a needle and syringe. Injectables,Injectable,Injection
D008297 Male Males
D002574 Cervical Vertebrae The first seven VERTEBRAE of the SPINAL COLUMN, which correspond to the VERTEBRAE of the NECK. Cervical Spine,Cervical Spines,Spine, Cervical,Vertebrae, Cervical
D004947 Esophagus The muscular membranous segment between the PHARYNX and the STOMACH in the UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT.
D005156 Facial Neuralgia Neuralgic syndromes which feature chronic or recurrent FACIAL PAIN as the primary manifestation of disease. Disorders of the trigeminal and facial nerves are frequently associated with these conditions. Facial Pain Syndromes,Sphenopalatine Neuralgia,Craniofacial Pain Syndromes,Myofacial Pain Syndromes,Craniofacial Pain Syndrome,Facial Neuralgias,Facial Pain Syndrome,Myofacial Pain Syndrome,Neuralgia, Facial,Neuralgia, Sphenopalatine,Neuralgias, Facial,Neuralgias, Sphenopalatine,Pain Syndrome, Craniofacial,Pain Syndrome, Facial,Pain Syndrome, Myofacial,Pain Syndromes, Craniofacial,Pain Syndromes, Facial,Pain Syndromes, Myofacial,Sphenopalatine Neuralgias,Syndrome, Craniofacial Pain,Syndrome, Facial Pain,Syndrome, Myofacial Pain,Syndromes, Craniofacial Pain,Syndromes, Facial Pain,Syndromes, Myofacial Pain
D005205 Fascia Layers of connective tissue of variable thickness. The superficial fascia is found immediately below the skin; the deep fascia invests MUSCLES, nerves, and other organs.
D005260 Female Females
D005471 Fluoroscopy Production of an image when x-rays strike a fluorescent screen. Fluoroscopies
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000779 Anesthetics, Local Drugs that block nerve conduction when applied locally to nerve tissue in appropriate concentrations. They act on any part of the nervous system and on every type of nerve fiber. In contact with a nerve trunk, these anesthetics can cause both sensory and motor paralysis in the innervated area. Their action is completely reversible. (From Gilman AG, et. al., Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 8th ed) Nearly all local anesthetics act by reducing the tendency of voltage-dependent sodium channels to activate. Anesthetics, Conduction-Blocking,Conduction-Blocking Anesthetics,Local Anesthetic,Anesthetics, Topical,Anesthetic, Local,Anesthetics, Conduction Blocking,Conduction Blocking Anesthetics,Local Anesthetics,Topical Anesthetics

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