Younghoon Jeon
Kyungpook National University Hospital, South Korea
Title: The Effect of Stellate Ganglion Block on the Idiopathic Senosorneural Hearing Loss
Biography
Biography: Younghoon Jeon
Abstract
Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL) is considered an otologic emergency requiring immediate treatment. A possible cause of ISSHL includes viral infection, circulatory problems, immunologic disorders, and neurologic disorders. Currently well recognized treatment for ISSHL is administration of steroid. The stellate ganglion block (SGB) is a procedure to block the sympathetic nerve distributed to the head, neck and the upper limb, which is tried for treatment of circulatory insufficiency diseases or sympathetically maintained pain disorders. But it is not cleary that it is not clear that SGB has significant beneficial effect on ISSHL. The objective of this study was to investigate whether stellate ganglion block (SGB) can enhance the recovery of ISSHL. In a retrospective chart review, a total 135 patients with SSNML was included; Sixty patients received only conservative treatment with steroids and vitamin B (control group) and 75 patients were managed with SGB twice a week, combined with conservative treatment (SGB group). Hearing gain and percentage of recovery were analyzed and compared between the two groups. In SGB group, hearing gain, percentage of recovery, and rate of successful recovery significantly increased, compared to those in the control group SGB group (respectively, P < .05). From these findings, SGB have beneficial effects in the treatment of ISSHL.