[Effect of stellate ganglion block on human retinal blood flow].
OBJECTIVE
The effect of stellate ganglion block (SGB) on human retinal blood flow was evaluated.


METHODS
We measured the diameter of the retinal artery and vein, and retinal venous flow rate by laser speckle retinal blood flow meter simultaneously in 11 eyes of 11 normal volunteers.


RESULTS
The reliable data from 9 eyes of 9 person were used for analysis. SGB did not change the blood pressure, heart rate, retinal arterial diameter, or venous diameter. However SGB increased retinal blood velocity significantly from 9.9 +/- 1.6 (mean +/- standard deviation) mm/s to 11.1 +/- 1.5 mm/s (p < 0.01). Intraocular pressure decreased from 12.3 +/- 2.1 (mean +/- standard deviation)mmHg to 9.4 +/- 2.2 mmHg after SGB (p < 0.01). There was no relationship between the change of ocular perfusion pressure and that of retinal venous blood velocity.


CONCLUSIONS
SGB increased the retinal venous blood velocity without changing the retinal vessel diameter.
Kiuchi
Y
Y
Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka National Hospital, Japan.
Hirota
A
A
Takamatsu
M
M
Mishima
H
H
Kaneko
K
K
D000328:Adult; D001340:Autonomic Nerve Block; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D012161:Retinal Artery / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012169:Retinal Vein / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013233:Stellate Ganglion / Q000502:physiology*