Differential Diagnosis of Tinnitus by means of the Great Occipital Nerve Black: “Cervical Tinnitus”

Abstract

Since Barré (1926) has reported the “Posterior Cervical Sympathetic Syndrome”, much attention has been given to this syndrome.
As the findings of tenderness on the occipital nerve region was of great interest, the author tried the great occipital nerve block in the case with tinnitus suspicious of the cervical syndrome.
As the results, the excellent effect on tinnitus was recognized by this procedure, especially in the case with tenderness on the occipital nerve region, regardless to the existence of impaired hearing.
It was named as “Cervical Tinnitus” and the standardization of the differential diagnosis of tinnitus was proposed as follows:
1) Tinnitus which diminished after the initial block of cervical orgin.
2) Tinnitus which was decreased after the initial block and subsided by the repeated ones was of cervical.
3) Tinnitus which decreased after the initial block and persists after the repeated ones was of cervical and other causes.
4) Tinnitus unaffected by this procedure was of other causes.