The Effect of Stellate Ganglion Block on the Treatment of Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

Song,  Jong Wook; Shim,  Jae Kwang; Moon,  Jin Cheon; Ahn,  Eun Kyoung; Kum,  Chang Man; Yoon,  Duck Mi; Lee,  Won Sang; Shin,  Cheung Soo

doi:2006.51.1.52

Original Article

Korean Journal of Anesthesiology 2006;51(1):52-57.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.2006.51.1.52

The Effect of Stellate Ganglion Block on the Treatment of Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

Jong Wook Song, Jae Kwang Shim, Jin Cheon Moon, Eun Kyoung Ahn, Chang Man Kum, Duck Mi Yoon, Won Sang Lee, Cheung Soo Shin

¹Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. cheung56@yumc.yonsei.ac.kr
²Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
³Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, National Health Insurance Corporation Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, Korea.

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) is defined as a sensorineural hearing loss which develops abruptly without definitive causes. Stellate ganglion block (SGB) has been used as one of the treatment modalities in ISSNHL. However, published data establishing the effect of SGB has been slim. We conducted this study to evaluate the effect of SGB according to the factors that may influence the prognosis of the disease.
METHODS
We reviewed the records of 343 patients. The control group was managed with medications, and the SGB group was managed with SGB and the same medications. SGB was performed with 5 ml of 1.0% mepivacaine. The pure-tone audiogram was performed after the therapy and Siegel's criteria was used to define the recovery of hearing.
RESULTS
The recovery rate of the SGB group was higher than that of the control group (58.1% vs. 42.1%, P < 0.05). The SGB group had a higher recovery rate than the control group in patients treated within 7 days from the onset of symptoms (66.9% vs. 44.1%, P < 0.05), without diabetes mellitus (58.5% vs. 44.9%, P < 0.05), without dizziness (61.6% vs. 44.6%, P < 0.05), or whose initial hearing loss was between 71 and 90 dB (69.4% vs. 38.9%, P < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
SGB is thought to be a useful therapy for ISSNHL, especially in the patients treated within 7 days, without diabetes mellitus, dizziness, or whose initial hearing loss was severe.

Key Words: stellate ganglion block; sudden sensorineural hearing loss