2025 年 23 巻 2 号 p. 59-68
Injecting local anesthetics into the cervical sympathetic ganglion creates a stellate ganglion block. In this study, we examined changes in oral blood flow and vital signs after performing an SGB at the transverse process of the sixth cervical vertebra（i.e., C6SGB）. We enrolled 60 healthy adult male volunteers and performed C6SGB by injecting 6 mL of 1% mepivacaine hydrochloride. Subjects were divided into two groups: right-sided C6SGB（n = 30）and left-sided C6SGB（n = 30）. Buccal mucosa blood flow was measured on the treated and nontreated sides. Baseline measurements were taken 5 minutes before the injection, and subsequent readings were recorded at 5-minute intervals for 30 minutes post-injection. Heart rate（HR）and blood pressure（BP）were also measured at the same intervals. A physiological saline solution served as a control and was administered to the volunteers on a separate date for comparative measurements. Both the right-sided and left-sided C6SGB groups exhibited increased blood flow on the treated side for 30 minutes post-injection. The nontreated side also showed an increase but only for 10 minutes post-injection. Similarly, HR and BP increased for 30 minutes after the injection in both groups. C6SGB elevates facial blood flow on the treated side due to the local anesthetic’s effect on the cervical sympathetic trunk. The consequent uptick in blood flow on the non-treated side is thought to result from augmented venous circulation on both sides induced by C6SGB, along with a boost in arterial circulation specifically on the untreated side due to altered hemodynamics.
