Treatment of stellate ganglion block in diseases: Its role and application prospect

Abstract

The stellate ganglion (SG), as a type of sympathetic ganglion, consists of the sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae and the first thoracic sympathetic ganglia. SG block (SGB) is a minimally invasive injection that aims to inject low-concentration local anesthetics to induce a broad sympathetic blocking effect near the SG. There have been no changes and progress in the clinical application of SGB since the 1830s due to several potential risks, including hematoma from blood vessel injury, hoarseness from recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, and cardiopulmonary arrest. The feasibility and safety of SGB have greatly improved since the appearance of ultrasound-guided SGB. In recent years, SGB has been widely applied in the field of non-anesthesiology sedation, with significant therapeutic effects on pain, immunological diseases, somnipathy, psychological disorders, arrhythmias, and endocrine diseases. The present study reviews the present application of SGB in clinical practice.

Keywords: Echocardiography; Pain; Immunological diseases; Somnipathy; Psychological disorders; Arrhythmias; Endocrine diseases

Core Tip: Several reviews in the literature have contributed to the therapeutic effect of stellate ganglion block (SGB). The present study reviews the anatomical structure and mechanism of SGB, the advantages of ultrasound localization, and the application of SGB in the treatment of painful diseases, immunological diseases, somnipathy, psychological diseases, arrhythmias, and endocrine diseases.