title: Treatment of sudden sensorineural hearing loss with a continuous epidural block.
abstract: The efficacy of a continuous epidural block was evaluated in the treatment of 20 patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Ten patients were treated with continuous cervicothoracic epidural block (group A) and the other 10 were treated with stellate ganglion block (group B). No significant difference in factors affecting prognosis was noted between the groups. In the epidural block group 70% achieved substantial hearing improvement, while this occurred in only 30% of patients undergoing stellate ganglion block. These findings suggest that continuous epidural block can be effective in the treatment of sudden SNHL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculity of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujino
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hisashi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yashima
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takeshita
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chujo
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Komune
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Komiyama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone / Q000379:methods; D001340:Autonomic Nerve Block / Q000379:methods*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003639:Hearing Loss, Sudden; D006801:Humans; D007260:Infusion Pumps; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013233:Stellate Ganglion / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D008012:Lidocaine