The value of local botulinum toxin A injection in the treatment of the pain of aphthous ulcer

To determine the effectiveness of botulinum toxin type A to reduce pain of recurrent aphthous ulcer, a single blinded placebo controlled trial of botulinum toxin A injection was performed. A total of 70 patients were enrolled and randomly received a botulinum toxin type A 1 unit or placebo. The patients were asked to note the level of pain on the visual analogue scale for 6 days. They also had to record any eventual side effects or recurrence for 6 months. More patients quickly recovered following Botulinum toxin type A injection than placebo; they would feel almost no pain after about 3 days. Botulinum toxin type A exhibits quick pain treatment effect following injection on aphthous ulcer. The author also believes that it can prevent recurrence for at least 6 months after injection.     

Tolerance of salivary gland botulinum toxin A injection under local anesthesia for the treatment of sialorrhea in children: An observational study

ObjectivesThe main objective of this study was to assess tolerance of botulinum toxin A injection into the salivary glands under local anesthesia in a pediatric population. Secondary endpoints comprised efficacy and side-effects.Material and methodsA retrospective observational study included children treated between January 2013 and March 2020 for sialorrhea and/or pharyngeal salivary congestion. Children were identified from the botulinum toxin A injection database. The study included 162 injection sessions in 55 children. Injections were performed under local anesthesia with nitrous oxide, after clinical location of the site. Epidemiological and clinical data, injection tolerance on the FLACC scale, treatment response and complications were recorded.ResultsFor submandibular gland injections, pain was absent in 81 cases, mild in 64, moderate in 4 and intense in 1. In parotid gland injections, pain was absent in 45 cases, mild in 89, moderate in 17 and intense in 1. Injection tolerance was significantly poorer (P < 0.005) in parotid than submandibular glands. Seventy-seven percent of the injections had a positive effect on sialorrhea. Fifteen patients presented transient adverse events: mainly dysphagia and paradoxical increase in sialorrhea.ConclusionSalivary gland botulinum toxin A injections in under local anesthesia were well-tolerated, safe and effective for children with sialorrhea and/or pharyngeal salivary congestion.     

The Swallowing Side Effects of Botulinum Toxin Type A Injection in Spasmodic Dysphonia

Botulinum toxin type A (BOTOX®) injection of the thyroarytenoid muscle is used to control speech symptoms in patients with adductor spasmodic dysphonia. Transient difficulty in swallowing liquids is a common treatment side effect. Laryngeal movement durations were measured during swallowing in 13 adductor spasmodic dysphonia patients undergoing treatment and in 6 normal control subjects in order to determine the following: 1. whether, prior to the injection, laryngeal movement durations were longer in the spasmodic dysphonia patients than in the control subjects; 2. whether movement durations increased following the injections; 3. whether preinjection swallowing difficulties related to postinjection swallowing measurements and postinjection patient reports of swallowing problems. A piezoelectric movement transducer was shown to be accurate for noninvasive measurement of laryngeal movement duration in relation to muscle onset and offset for hyoid elevation and relaxation. Before botulinum toxin type A injection, no significant differences in swallowing duration were found between the patient and control groups. Four patients with swallowing complaints prior to injection had longer laryngeal movement durations than the other spasmodic dysphonia patients and the control subjects. Following injection, laryngeal movement durations increased in the patients with spasmodic dysphonia, and eight patients reported dysphagia for an average of 2 weeks. Relationships were found between the patients' initial reports of swallowing problems and increased laryngeal movement durations before and after botulinum toxin type A injection. Those patients initially reporting swallowing difficulties had severe dysphagia for 2 weeks after the injection. Patient reports of dysphagia prior to injection may indicate a greater likelihood of significant dysphagia following thyroarytenoid injection with botulinum toxin type A.     

Laryngeal spasm and tracheostomy after hydroxyapatite injection laryngoplasty

IntroductionAdductor spasmodic dysphonia (Ad-SD) is usually treated by botulinum toxin injection into the thyroarytenoid muscles. In older patients, atrophy of these muscles is responsible for glottic leak, causing presbyphonia and is managed by vocal fold medialization using autologous fat or hydroxyapatite (HA). We report the first case of uncontrollable laryngeal spasm requiring tracheostomy after hydroxyapatite injection laryngoplasty in a patient with spasmodic dysphonia and presbyphonia.Case reportAn 83-year-old man had been treated for Ad-SD by botulinum toxin injections every six months for 14 years. Due to severely disabling glottic leak, autologous fat injection laryngoplasty was then successfully performed. Six months later, following recurrence of severe hypophonia, hydroxyapatite injection was performed, subsequently complicated by immediate acute respiratory distress secondary to adductor laryngeal spasm requiring reintubation and tracheostomy. The postoperative course was marked by gradual recovery of vocal fold mobility with decannulation on day 12.DiscussionThis case allows a discussion of the possible pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for adductor laryngeal spasm. Vocal fold medialization procedures should be performed with caution in patients with Ad-SD.     

Control of vertigo in Ménière's disease by intratympanic dexamethasone

ObjectiveThe main objective was to assess the efficacy of intratympanic dexamethasone injection in controlling vertigo in unilateral Ménière's disease refractory to medical treatment.Materials and methodsA retrospective study included 25 patients with disabling unilateral Ménière's disease, defined according to the American Academy of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) criteria. Patients received intratympanic dexamethasone during the monitoring period. Control of vertigo was classified according to AAO-HNS vertigo control index, at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after treatment initiation. Complications and progression of hearing were also assessed.ResultsSatisfactory control (class A or B) was obtained in 92% of patients (n = 23/25) at 6 months, 68% (n = 17/25) at 1 year, and 70% (n = 16/23) at 2 years. There was no worsening of hearing in those patients who were well-controlled by this therapeutic strategy. No local or systemic complications were observed during follow-up.ConclusionDexamethasone is part of the management strategy for patients with Ménière's disease refractory to conventional treatment, implemented before destructive treatment. It achieves control of vertigo in 70% of patients at 2 years.     

Treatment of adductor-type spasmodic dysphonia by surgical myectomy: a preliminary report

OBJECTIVES: Despite the belief that it represents a central neurologic dysfunctional process, adductor-type spasmodic dysphonia without tremor is usually effectively treated by injection of botulinum toxin A; however, in most cases such injections must be repeated every few months. A promising new surgical procedure is herein reported. METHODS: Under local anesthesia with intravenous sedation, a large laryngoplasty window is created, and under direct vision with intraoperative voice monitoring, fibers from the thyroarytenoid and lateral cricoarytenoid muscles are removed until breathiness occurs. The two sides are staged; that is, one side is done at a time, with surgery on the second side being performed 3 to 6 months after that on the first side, if needed. RESULTS: This was a retrospective, unblinded study of 5 patients who underwent myectomy of the thyroarytenoid and lateral cricoarytenoid muscles. The preliminary results show improved voice fluency in all patients at 5 to 19 months of follow-up. There was no period of prolonged breathiness or dysphagia in any of the patients, and there were no surgical complications. CONCLUSIONS: Myectomy of the thyroarytenoid and lateral cricoarytenoid muscles is a promising new surgical treatment for adductor-type spasmodic dysphonia that may effectively mimic "permanent" botulinum toxin injections.     

Laryngeal contact granuloma.

OBJECTIVE: To report outcomes of treatment for laryngeal contact granuloma. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective treatment of 21 patients with laryngeal contact granulomas using proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) medication. METHODS: Patients were diagnosed and followed by office endoscopy and patient interview. RESULTS: Three patients did not tolerate PPI medication and were managed by treatment with type 2 histamine (H2) blockers. The lesion completely resolved in 14 of the 18 patients maintained on PPI medication, and significantly regressed in the other 4. Residual granulomas were surgically excised in one patient. Lesions resolved in two patients following injection of botulinum toxin into one thyroarytenoid muscle. One patient had a residual lesion, but symptoms were controlled by medication, and he declined treatment with botulinum toxin. Of the three patients treated with H2-blocker medication, the lesion resolved in only one. CONCLUSION: PPI medication is effective in the treatment of laryngeal contact granuloma, even in the absence of identifiable symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux.     

Botulinum toxin: helpful adjunct to early resolution of laryngeal granulomas

Treating laryngopharyngeal reflux is the most accepted treatment for laryngeal granulomas. However, response to this treatment is prolonged and in some cases persistent. The authors hypothesize that this is due to the continuous trauma to the mucoperichondrium from adduction of the vocal folds thus preventing regeneration of healthy mucosa. A prospective study was performed on six patients with laryngeal granulomas failing prolonged laryngopharyngeal reflux treatment, speech therapy, and surgical excisions. Botulinum toxin A was injected into the affected thyroarytenoid to reduce adduction trauma. Video-stroboscopy was used to assess response. A 50 per cent reduction in the size of the granulomas was noted within two weeks with a complete and permanent response within two to eight weeks in five out of six patients. One patient had an obstructing pyogenic granuloma that required excision and recurred after excision but responded to a repeated injection. The addition of a single injection of botulinum toxin A to the standard treatment expeditiously eliminated persistent and recurrent laryngeal granulomas.     

IncobotulinimtoxinA (Xeomin) for the treatment of adductor laryngeal dystonia: A prospective,open-label clinical trial

ObjectivesDemonstrate an understanding of incobotulinumtoxinA efficacy in the treatment of adductor spasmodic dysphonia (SD). Understand that incobotulinumtoxinA can successfully be used as an alternative to onabotulinumtoxinA and for secondary non-responders.MethodsWe conducted a prospective open-label trial from 2016 until 2019 regarding the use of incobotulinimtoxinA for the treatment of adductor spasmodic dysphonia. Exclusion criteria included pregnant/nursing women, botulinum toxin for other indications, known allergy, neuromuscular or systemic diseases, use of aminoglycoside antibiotics, substance abuse, litigation regarding prior therapy, or other confounding conditions. Sixty-four injection sessions with completed with sixteen patients who were enrolled in the study and underwent EMG-guided incobotulinumtoxinA injections to the thyroarytenoid (TA) muscle using a hollow monopolar Teflon-coated needle via a trans-cricothyroid membrane approach. Dosages to each TA muscle were recorded and patients completed a Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10), a validated worksheet regarding their perceived percent of normal function (PNF) following treatment, and a side effect profile. Outcomes were analyzed using the paired t-test.ResultsFor primary transitioners to incobotulinimtoxinA, VHI-10 scores and best percent normal function did not significantly change. For non-responders, VHI-10 decreased from 32.5 on Botox to 19.5 on incobotulinimtoxinA and best PNF increased from 37.6 to 90 %, which was statistically significant. Transient side effects included breathiness.ConclusionsOur study demonstrates that incobotulinimtoxinA may be used successfully for adductor SD either as first line treatment or in secondary non-responders to onabotulinumtoxinA.     

Comparison of the effects of esomeprazole plus mosapride citrate and botulinum toxin A on vocal process granuloma

Objectives

Vocal process granulomas have a high tendency for persistence despite many treatment alternatives. Anti-reflux medications or botulinum toxin A injections are the main current therapies. There are no studies that compare the effects on vocal process granuloma of proton pump inhibitors plus prokinetic agents with botulinum toxin A injections.

A rare case of laryngeal dystonia associated with neurosyphilis: Response to botulinum toxin injection

We report a unique case of laryngeal dystonia in a 43-year-old male with neurosyphilis who underwent successful treatment with botulinum toxin injection. To date there have been no reports of laryngeal dystonia associated with neurosyphilis. The patient initially presented with strained and stuttering voice despite systemic penicillin therapy. After 2 months of speech therapy with limited relief, the patient received botulinum toxin injection to each thyroarytenoid muscle. Postinjection videostroboscopy showed marked improvement of voice quality.     

Office-based endoscopic botulinum toxin injection in laryngeal movement disorders

IntroductionBotulinum toxin injection is widely used for the treatment of laryngeal movement disorders. Electromyography-guided percutaneous injection is the technique most commonly used to perform intralaryngeal botulinum toxin injection.ObjectiveWe describe an endoscopic approach for intralaryngeal botulinum toxin injection under local anaesthesia without using electromyography.TechniqueA flexible video-endoscope with an operating channel is used. After local anaesthesia of the larynx by instillation of lidocaine, a flexible needle is inserted into the operating channel in order to inject the desired dose of botulinum toxin into the vocal and/or vestibular folds.ConclusionEndoscopic botulinum toxin injection under local anaesthesia is a reliable technique for the treatment of laryngeal movement disorders. It can be performed by any laryngologist without the need for electromyography. It is easy to perform for the operator and comfortable for the patient.     

Treatment of the interarytenoid muscle with botulinum toxin for laryngeal dystonia

The treatment of laryngeal dystonia with botulinum toxin has provided various degrees of relief to the majority of patients with adductor dysphonia; however, a significant number of patients have limited or no improvement with this type of therapy. It remains unclear why some patients respond to the routine administration of toxin to the thyroarytenoid muscles whereas others do not. Injections into the lateral cricoarytenoid muscles have provided an improved voice in some patients who were unresponsive to injections into the thyroarytenoid muscles. Fine-wire electromyography can demonstrate the particular dystonic activity of these muscles to help determine which muscle is predominantly involved. It can also demonstrate dramatic dystonic activity in the interarytenoid (IA) muscle in many patients. We present the results of 23 patients treated with injections to the IA muscle after demonstration of dystonic IA activity. Ten have benefited from IA therapy. Five of these 10 patients did not have a good result from botulinum toxin until IA injections were added to the treatment plan. In 8 patients, IA therapy provided no improvement, and 5 patients were lost to adequate follow-up. According to fine-wire electromyography and clinical response, the IA muscle is an active dystonic muscle in some patients with laryngeal dystonia and should be treated with botulinum toxin in selected patients.     

A,comparison of bilateral and unilateral botulinum toxin treatments for spasmodic dysphonia

Summary To assess the efficacy of bilateral or unilateral botulinum treatments for spasmodic dysphonia we injected botulinum toxin (type A) into the thyroarytenoid muscle of 24 patients with adductor type spasmodic dysphonia. Eleven patients underwent unilateral procedures and 13 bilateral procedures. Samples of sustained phonation were analyzed acoustically by a computer-assisted method and the air flow rates determined. All tests were conducted 1 week before injection and 1 week and 1 month after treatment. With unilateral injection, improvements in acoustic parameters occurred as early as 1 week after treatment. With bilateral injections, only the voice break factor was significantly reduced after 1 week, while standard deviations of fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer and signal-to-noise-ratios were reduced 1 month after treatment. In comparison with unilateral injections, the mean air flow rate was twice as high 1 week after bilateral injections, with no significant differences found 1 month after treatment. Clinically, both injection modes resulted in the reduction of laryngeal spasms as early as within 48 h after injection.Portions of this work were presented at the 63th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Oto-Rhino -Laryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, 30 May–3 June 1992     

Perceptual analyses of spasmodic dysphonia before and after treatment

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate expert listeners' perceptions of voice and fluency in persons with adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD) before and after treatment with botulinum toxin type A (Botox), as a function of initial severity of the disorder (while controlling for patients' age at injection). DESIGN: Simple before-and-after trial with blinded randomized listener judgments. SETTING: Ambulatory care clinic at a single medical center. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-two consecutive patients with ADSD who underwent examination, with a 3- to 6-week follow-up, after initial botulinum toxin type A injection. There were also 42 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. INTERVENTIONS: Injections of botulinum toxin type A into the thyroarytenoid muscle(s). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Computer-implemented visual analog scaling judgments of voice quality and speech fluency made by expert listeners under psychoacoustically controlled conditions. RESULTS: Response to botulinum toxin type A varied markedly as a function of pretreatment severity of ADSD. More severe initial symptoms exhibited greater magnitudes of improvement. Patients with mild dysphonia did not exhibit pretreatment to posttreatment change. Following treatment, voice and fluency remained significantly (P<.05) poorer in ADSD than in healthy speakers. Older patients exhibited less improvement than younger patients when the effect of initial severity was statistically controlled. CONCLUSIONS: Voice quality and fluency improved for most patients following treatment, but older patients and those with milder dysphonia exhibited the least optimal responses to the procedure. Patients who were profoundly impaired demonstrated the greatest amount of improvement. Computer-implemented visual analog scaling provided a reliable clinical tool for determining treatment-related changes in those with ADSD.     

Effects of Botulinum Toxin Type A Injections on Aerodynamic Measures of Spasmodic Dysphonia

The effects of botulinum toxin type A (BOTOX^®) injections on aerodynamic measures of phonation were examined in 30 patients with adductor spasmodic dysphonia. Patients received bilateral injections of 2.5 U of botulinum toxin type A in each thyroarytenoid muscle. Measures of air pressure, average airflow, coefficient of variation (CV) of airflow, and laryngeal resistance were obtained before the injections and at 2 and 10 weeks after the injections. These measures were also obtained from 12 normal subjects. Compared with normal subjects, the spasmodic dysphonia patients had significantly higher preinjection values for air pressure, CV of airflow, and laryngeal resistance. At 2 and 10 weeks after the botulinum toxin type A injections, the spasmodic dysphonia patients showed a significant increase in the average airflow values and a significant decrease in the CV of airflow values and the laryngeal resistance values. At 10 weeks after the injections, the values for the three measures began to approach the preinjection values. It is concluded that these aerodynamic measures of phonation can provide useful measures of treatment outcome in adductor spasmodic dysphonia.     

Comparison between postauricular steroid injection and intratympanic steroid perfusion for refractory severe and profound sudden sensorineural hearing loss

BackgroundTo analyze the clinical efficacy of intratympanic steroid perfusion (ISP) and postauricular steroid injection (PSI) for refractory severe and profound sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL).MethodsSSNHL patients who failed a conventional treatment with severe to profound hearing loss [pure tone average (PTA, 0.25–8 kHz) > 60 dB] were treated with ISP or PSI plus antioxidant and neurotrophin for 10 consecutive days. Antioxidant and neurotrophin were administrated either intravenously and/or orally. All patients were assigned into the ISP group or the PSI group and followed up for more than three months. The changes in PTA, effective rate and side effects were analyzed in the two groups.ResultsSimilar hearing improvements and effective rates were observed in the two groups. However, a slightly better efficacy was observed in the PSI group compared to the ISP group. Patients with shorter intervals from onset to treatment had significantly more hearing improvements. The route of antioxidant and neurotrophin administration had no impact on treatment effects.ConclusionBoth ISP and PSI could be used as salvage treatments for refractory SSNHL. These salvage treatments should be started as soon as possible once SSNHL patients fail a conventional treatment.     

Botulinum toxin for treatment of gustatory sweating. A prospective randomized study]

BACKGROUND: Botulinum toxin A has meanwhile become a proven method for treatment of gustatory sweating (focal hyperhidrosis, Frey's syndrome). Clear-cut recommendations regarding dosage of botulinum toxin A in Frey's syndrome are currently not available. The aim of this prospective randomized study therefore was to investigate botulinum toxin A with respect to its efficacy in Frey's syndrome, the ideal dose yielding maximal duration of the effect, and patient contentedness as well as unwanted side effects in patients of the Clinic of OMF Surgery at the Ruhr-University of Bochum. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Twenty patients suffering from severe Frey's syndrome as a result of operations of the parotid gland were examined with the starch iodine test according to Minor. The gustatory skin areas were re-examined after intracutaneous injection of botulinum toxin A for up to 1 year. The patients ( n=20) were randomly assigned to two different treatment groups (group I: 2 MU/cm(2), n=10; group II: 3 MU/cm(2), n=10). RESULTS: Mean sweating skin areas in the two treatment groups ranged between 39+/-9 and 32+/-12 cm(2), respectively. A single injection of 3 MU botulinum toxin A resulted in a nearly complete blockade of gustatory sweating for the observation period of 1 year. In the group treated with 2 MU botulinum toxin A, 44% of the total gustatory skin areas were still sweating, thus necessitating a second injection of botulinum toxin A in these patients. CONCLUSION: Intracutaneous injection of botulinum toxin A represents a highly effective and minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of Frey's syndrome. This study shows for the first time that a dosage of 3 MU/cm(2) of botulinum toxin A achieves a complete and reliable blockade of gustatory sweating lasting for at least 12 months. This dose may therefore be recommended for treatment of this syndrome.     

Tremor laryngeal dystonia: treatment of the lateral cricoarytenoid muscle

Tremor laryngeal dystonia is a clinical entity distinct from adductor laryngeal dystonia, according to perceptual, stroboscopic, and fine-wire electromyographic findings. Treatment with botulinum toxin has proven more difficult for tremor laryngeal dystonia than for adductor laryngeal dystonia, yet no treatment variations have been considered that might produce improved clinical results. We present 81 patients with a clinical presentation of tremor laryngeal dystonia who were treated with a variety of approaches with botulinum toxin. On the basis of both fine-wire electromyographic findings and clinical response, currently 44 of those patients are being followed up after at least 3 injections. Twenty-one patients (48%) are maintained on lateral cricoarytenoid injections, and 23 (52%) are maintained on thyroarytenoid muscle injections. The electromyographic findings of this group are presented along with their clinical outcome. According to our findings, the majority of patients with tremor laryngeal dystonia can be successfully treated with botulinum toxin if the practitioner includes injections to the lateral cricoarytenoid muscle as a treatment option.     

Effects of botulinum toxin on pathophysiology in spasmodic dysphonia

To determine the mechanism of symptom relief with treatment by botulinum toxin injection in persons with adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD), we evaluated the effects of unilateral thyroarytenoid muscle injections on both injected and noninjected muscles in 10 subjects with ADSD, using electromyography on both sides of the larynx before and after treatment. The subjects' speech symptoms were reduced (p = .005) 2 weeks following injection, when the electromyographic study occurred. Muscle activation levels and the numbers of spasmodic muscle bursts decreased significantly (p < or = .03) postinjection in both the injected and noninjected muscles. The reductions in laryngeal muscle bursts correlated with symptom reduction (r > or = .7) in all muscles. Reductions in laryngeal muscle bursts did not relate to either absolute or normalized levels of muscle activity before or after botulinum toxin injection. The results suggest that changes in the central pathophysiology are responsible for changes in speech symptoms following treatment.