Case of iatrogenic botulism after botulinotherapy in clinical practice

Abstract

Injections of botulinum toxin are widely used in different medical fields, namely neurology, urology, stomatology, cosmetology, gastroenterology etc. Preparations of botulinum toxin type A (BTA) prevent the release of acetylcholine at the endings of motor nerves leading to the long-term muscle relaxation. It has been acknowledged that treatment with BTA has very good safety profile and tolerability. Extremely rare but severe complication of botulinotherapy (BT) is a condition, which is associated with generalized muscle Weakness, swallowing difficulty, respiratory arrest, and may lead to the lethal outcomes in the solitary cases. Such disorders, which present like botulism, are known as botulism-like syndrome and iatrogenic botulism. We report a clinical case of such complication in the paper. The probability of the development of such rare but severe complications necessitates certain awareness and vigilance among clinicians performing BT.

Keywords: botulinotherapy; botulism-like syndrome; complications; iatrogenic botulism.