Korean J Anesthesiol.  2002 Aug;43(2):241-244. 10.4097/kjae.2002.43.2.241.

Bilateral Horner's Syndrome after a Stellate Ganglion Block

• Lim KJ
• Choi YJ

• KMID: 2236771
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.2002.43.2.241

Abstract

A stellate ganglion block (SGB) is a widely used procedure in the treatment of chronic pain syndromes in the facial and cervicobrachial regions as well as in nonpainful conditions. The complications of a stellate ganglion block include intra-arterial or intracranial injection of local anesthetic, Horner's syndrome, phrenic nerve block, recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis, brachial plexus block, and pneumothorax. Horner's syndrome after the performance of a stellate ganglion block is a valuable sign of a successful block, but contralateral or bilateral Horner's syndrome remains an unusual and poorly explained phenomenon. We experienced a case of a 56 year-old female patient who had developed ipsilateral and contralateral Horner's syndrome after a stellate ganglion block. The ipsilateral Horner's syndrome was resolved after several hours but the contralateral side lasted for a week.

Keyword

Horner's syndrome; stellate ganglion block

MeSH Terms

Brachial Plexus
Chronic Pain
Female
Horner Syndrome*
Humans
Middle Aged
Paralysis
Phrenic Nerve
Pneumothorax
Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve
Stellate Ganglion*