Trends in stellate ganglion block for orofacial pain: a bibliometric analysis.

BACKGROUND

Stellate ganglion block (SGB) has been applied to a diverse range of orofacial pain conditions, yet no bibliometric analysis has been conducted in this field. In this study, we aimed to characterize the global research trends, geographic distribution, and thematic evolution of the literature on SGB for orofacial pain.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted using the Scopus database with no restrictions on publication date or language. Publications addressing SGB as the primary intervention for orofacial pain were eligible. Bibliometric indicators included the compound annual growth rate (CAGR), author productivity (Lotka's Law), journal scattering (Bradford's Law), and citation impact (h-index and g-index). Keyword co-occurrence network analysis was performed using the VOSviewer software; a minimum occurrence threshold of five was applied, and overlay visualization was used to map the average publication year of each keyword.

RESULTS

Ninety-one publications spanning 55 years (1971-2025) were included. Annual publication output increased 3.7-fold from the initial period (mean 0.9/year, 1971-1999) to the recent period (mean 3.3/year, 2013-2025; overall CAGR: 2.1%). Japan was the leading contributor (n = 31, 34.1%), followed by the United States (n = 18, 19.8%). The corpus received 1,630 citations (h-index: 22; g-index: 38); case reports were the most frequent document type (40.6%). Keyword co-occurrence network analysis identified 54 keywords organized into four clusters, with a temporal gradient from the oldest (herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia [PHN]; mean publication year: 2007.8) to the most recent (pharmacotherapy and central sensitization; 2013.4). Within their respective clusters, tooth extraction (2015.2) and orofacial pain (2015.4) showed the most recent average publication years among keywords that directly co-occurred with "stellate ganglion block"; tooth extraction was associated with neuropathic pain, allodynia, and central sensitization-related keywords.

CONCLUSION

This bibliometric analysis identified a shift in research focus from herpes zoster and PHN toward central sensitization mechanisms and contemporary pharmacotherapy, with post-traumatic trigeminal neuropathic pain (PTTNeuP) emerging as a modern indication for SGB. These findings highlight the need for prospective clinical studies evaluating the efficacy of SGB for PTTNeuP cases.