Narouze Samer, Vydyanathan Amaresh, Patel Nilesh
Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
Pain Physician. 2007 Nov;10(6):747-52.
Stellate ganglion block is utilized in the diagnosis and management of various vascular disorders and sympathetically mediated pain in the upper extremity, head and neck. The cervical sympathetic chain is composed of superior, middle, intermediate, and inferior cervical ganglia. However, in approximately 80% of the population, the inferior cervical ganglion is fused with the first thoracic ganglion, forming the stellate ganglion also known as cervicothoracic ganglion. The stellate ganglion lies medial to the scalene muscles, lateral to the longus coli muscle, esophagus and trachea along with the recurrent laryngeal nerve, anterior to the transverse processes and prevertebral fascia, superior to the subclavian artery and the posterior aspect of the plura, and posterior to the vertebral vessels at C7 level. Consequently, inadvertent placement of the needle into the vertebral artery, thyroid, neural tissues, or esophagus can occur with the fluoroscopic or blind approach. While fluoroscopy is a reliable method for identifying boney structures, ultrasound may identify the vertebral vessels, thyroid gland and vessels, longus coli muscles, nerve roots and the esophagus. Thus, ultrasound may prevent inadvertent placement of the needle into these structures as might happen with either the blind technique or fluoroscopic technique. A patient with complex regional pain syndrome type I of the left upper extremity was scheduled for left stellate ganglion block with the anterior paratracheal approach under fluoroscopy. Real-time ultrasound imaging prevented inadvertent injury to the esophagus as well as the thyroid gland and vessels. Ultrasound-guided block may improve patient safety by avoiding the soft tissue structures in the needle path that can't be readily seen by fluoroscopy. This may be particularly useful in the patient with asymptomatic pharyngoesophageal diverticulum (Zenker diverticulum).
星状神经节阻滞适用于诊断和治疗各种血管疾病以及上肢、头部和颈部的交感神经介导性疼痛。颈交感神经链由颈上神经节、颈中神经节、中间神经节和颈下神经节组成。然而,在大约80%的人群中,颈下神经节与第一胸神经节融合,形成星状神经节,也称为颈胸神经节。星状神经节位于斜角肌内侧、颈长肌外侧、食管和气管旁,与喉返神经伴行,位于横突和椎前筋膜前方、锁骨下动脉上方和胸膜后方,在C7水平位于椎动脉后方。因此,在透视或盲法穿刺时,可能会不慎将针置入椎动脉、甲状腺、神经组织或食管。虽然透视是识别骨骼结构的可靠方法,但超声可以识别椎动脉、甲状腺及其血管、颈长肌、神经根和食管。因此,超声可以防止像盲法或透视技术那样不慎将针置入这些结构。一名左上肢患有Ⅰ型复杂性区域疼痛综合征的患者计划在透视引导下采用气管旁前路进行左侧星状神经节阻滞。实时超声成像避免了对食管以及甲状腺及其血管的意外损伤。超声引导下的阻滞可通过避开透视不易看到的针道中的软组织结构来提高患者安全性。这在患有无症状咽食管憩室(Zenker憩室)的患者中可能特别有用。