Title:Evaluation of Botulinum Toxin Type A and its Potential Effect on Exacerbated Raynaud's Phenomenon in Hospitalized Scleroderma Patients
Volume: 18
Issue: 1
Author(s): Seyed Mostafa Seyedmardani*, Mir Amir Aghdashi , Shaida Soltani and Golshan Kamali Zonouz
Affiliation:
- Internal Medicine Department, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
Keywords:
Botox, botulinum toxin A, raynaud's syndrome, scleroderma, parameters, therapeutic intervention.
Abstract: Background/Aims: Raynaud's phenomenon by episodically reversible constriction of
the arteries in the fingers and toes causes pain, numbness, sores, and gangrene. However, the treatment
of Raynaud's phenomenon is one of the clinical issues. Recent studies have shown that botulinum
toxin is considered a potential and effective therapeutic option for improving finger blood
circulation in patients with Raynaud's syndrome. In this study, we sought to investigate the therapeutic
effect of botulinum toxin type A on exacerbated Raynaud's phenomenon in patients with
scleroderma.
Methods: In this prospective study, 11 patients with systemic scleroderma who were referred due
to aggravated Raynaud's were included. For all patients, questionnaires were filled up, and physical
examination was performed separately for both treatment and control hands, and then similar volumes
of botulinum toxin type A (Botox) and normal saline were randomly injected.
Results: The results showed that there was a significant difference in Raynaud's score (P = 0.001),
Quick-Dash score (P = 0.01), Mc-Cabe cold score (P = 0.003), the mean frequency of recurrences
arracks (P = 0.01), pain (0.005) (P = 0), skin color (P = 0.01), and duration of Raynaud's phenomenon
(P = 0.006) between the intervention and control groups after two months.
Conclusion: Following Botox injection, a significant improvement in terms of various Raynaud's
parameters as well as the clinical manifestations was observed in the intervention group. Together,
botulinum toxin type A could retrieve the hand function, the cold sensitivity, and the painful feeling
caused by Raynaud's syndrome.
