Stellate ganglion (SG)

The stellate ganglion is a sympathetic nervous system structure formed by the fusion of the inferior cervical and first thoracic ganglia, typically located anterior to the transverse process of the C7 vertebra (StatPearls, 2023). It serves as a critical relay station for sympathetic outflow to the head, neck, and upper extremities, regulating physiological processes such as heart rate, vascular tone, and sweat gland activity (NIH, 2022). Although it is an anatomical structure rather than a single molecule or receptor, it is a major clinical target for stellate ganglion blocks (SGB) using local anesthetics. SGB is traditionally used to treat sympathetically mediated pain conditions like Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) and vascular disorders like Raynaud's disease (PubMed, 2021). More recently, it has emerged as a therapeutic target for managing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and refractory ventricular arrhythmias by modulating autonomic nervous system activity and reducing sympathetic over-arousal (Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2020).

Other names

Cervicothoracic ganglionGanglion stellatum

Pharmacological blockade of the stellate ganglion involves the application of local anesthetics to inhibit voltage-gated sodium channels on the neurons within the ganglion, thereby preventing the generation and conduction of action potentials and interrupting sympathetic nerve transmission (StatPearls, 2023).