Abstract

Objective: To assess the efficacy of the combination of ultrasound-guided stellate ganglion block (SGB) and pharmacological treatment in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) and define patients amenable for SGB combined with pharmacological therapy. Methods: Prospective, randomized, trial involving 50 cases with unilateral ISSNHL that were randomly divided into 2 groups: the pharmacological treatment (P) group and SGB+ pharmacological treatment (HBO+P) group, which received additional SGB for 10 days besides the pharmacological treatments. Pure tone audiometry gain larger than 15 dBHL was defined as effective, the total effective rate and prognosis of the two groups were calculated. Results: The total effective rates of the two groups were 40% and 72% (P < 0.05). The hearing of both groups was improved, compared with the prognosis, after 6 months of treatment, the neutrophil count, lymphocyte count and neutrophil / lymphocyte ratio (NLR) of the two groups were improved, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05), but the prognosis of SGB + P group was better than that of P group. In addition, the effective rate of patients with moderate hearing loss, age ≤ 50 years or without dizziness / vertigo in SGB + P group was higher than that in severe hearing loss, age > 50 years or with dizziness / vertigo (P<0.05). Conclusion: Ultrasound guided stellate ganglion block combined with pharmacological treatment has better curative effect on hearing recovery than pharmacological therapy alone, and the prognosis is faster, and it is more amenable for patients with moderate hearing loss, age ≤ 50 years or without dizziness / vertigo.

Keyword: Ultrasound; Stellate ganglion block; Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss; Prognosis