Incidence of inadvertent intercostal or epidural spread during thoracic sympathetic ganglion block.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Sympathetic blocks (SBs) have been used widely to relieve the symptoms of sympathetically maintained pain (SMP). The thoracic sympathetic ganglion is not separated from somatic nerves by muscles and connective tissue. The upper thoracic ganglion runs along the posterior surface of the vertebral column in close proximity to the adjacent epidural region. This anatomical difference leads to frequent epidural and intercostal spread in cases of thoracic SBs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence of inadvertent intercostal and epidural injections during thoracic SBs.

Methods

Twenty-two patients who were suffering from complex regional pain syndrome or lymphedema after breast cancer surgery were managed with two or three times of thoracic SBs. Theref

SUBMITTER: Hong JH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7724114 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature