Efficacy of ultrasound-guided combined sphenopalatine and stellate ganglion block in the treatment of allergic rhinitis
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background: Although ultrasound-guided nerve blocks have shown potential efficacy in the treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR), high-quality clinical evidence is limited. This retrospective study evaluated the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided combined sphenopalatine and stellate ganglion block in the treatment of patients with AR. Methods: -tests, and comparisons across time points were assessed by repeated-measures analysis of variance. A two-sided P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Compared with the baseline, both groups showed significant improvements in terms of their NPT and QLS scores at 1, 3, and 6 months after treatment (all P<0.05). At each follow-up time point, the persistent group (group B) had lower NPT and QLS scores than the intermittent group (group A), indicating worse symptoms and quality of life; these between-group differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). The between-group difference in NPT scores was most pronounced at 3 months (P<0.05), while the between-group difference in QLS scores was significant at 1 month (P<0.05). No puncture-site infections, vascular injuries, or permanent nerve injuries were observed during treatment or follow-up. Some patients experienced transient adverse effects, including facial numbness, pain, hoarseness, ptosis, and dysphagia, which resolved spontaneously without residual disability or need for long-term treatment. Conclusions: In this single‑center retrospective cohort, ultrasound-guided combined sphenopalatine and stellate ganglion block effectively improved the symptoms of AR in the short- and mid-term after treatment and was generally well tolerated; however, the effect tended to diminish with longer follow-up. Given the retrospective, single-center nature of this study, large-scale prospective randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm the long-term efficacy of the treatment and to determine the optimal treatment protocol.
Authors: Zhiheng Yan, Mengqi Yang, Yalu Pang, Bin Ma, Tiangang Li
Institution: Gansu Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital
Language: English
Subfield: Immunology and Allergy
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7117707913