Abstract
Stellate ganglion block (SGB) is clinically used for the treatments of various lesions diseases. SGB gives rise to nasal obstruction of transient duration. It is also suggested that derangement of the autonomic nervous system underlies nasal allergy. In order to study the hemodynamics of the nasal mucosa after SGB, two groups of the subjects, i. e. healthy volunteers and patients with nasal allergy, were included for evaluation of the partial pressure of oxygen of nasal mucosa (PtsO2) after SGB. Simultaneous evaluations were done to assess the nasal patency in the normal group and the temperature at the anterior tip of the inferior nasal turbinate in the nasal allergy group. The results thus obtained are summarized as follows:
1) In the normal group, SGB was resulted in a reduction in nasal patency on the blocked side and a significant increase in PtsO2 when compared with the non-blocked side. The PtsO2 remained higher than normal after although nasal patency was restored.
2) The PtsO2 at rest was lower in the nasal allergy group than in the normal group.
3) Changes in PtsO2 following SGB were similar in the two groups.
4) A parallelism was noted between changes in the temperature at the tip of inferior nasal turbinate and those in PtsO2 during SGB.
These results suggest that SGB augments the arterial blood flow in the nasal mucosa. The compromized nasal mucosa of nasal allergy patients is in a state of hypoxia but showed virtually the similar improvement in circulation after SGB as noted in the nasal mucosa of normal subjects.
