The Efficacy of Stellate Ganglion Block in the Treatment of Idiopathic Tinnitus

Ahn, Hee Young; Yoo, Chang Su; Chung, Yoon Young

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Tinnitus is noise from ear or head without any external sound stimulation and can cause hearing difficulties, psychogenic disturbances or many difficulties in everyday life. The etiology of tinnitus is yet to be described and the management is also very difficult. Our study was performed to evaluate the characteristics and the management of idiopathic tinnitus.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
One hundred forty five patients (163 ears)with idiopathic tinnitus were entered into our department's database between Nov. 1995 and Oct. 1997. Patients were treated with drugs (dimenhydrinate, trimetazidine, diazepam, ginko biloba extract), the stellate ganglion block (SGB) or stellate ganglion block combined with drugs (combined therapy).
RESULTS
It was found that (1) the average age was 53.3 years: (2) there was no laterality: (3) the buzzing sound was the most common: (4) the average symptom duration was 486 days: (5) the most common loudness was 30-49dB: (6) the most common frequency was 4-5.9 KHz: (7) the treatment with drugs was effective in 28.0%: (8) the treatment of SGB was effective in 32.8%: (9) the combined therapy was effective in 41.8%: (10) there was no statistical significance among three groups.
CONCLUSION
Although there was no statistical significance, SGB was more effective than drugs whereas the combined therapy was more effective than either drugs or SGB. Therefore, SGB could be considered as another therapeutic modality in idiopathic tinnitus.