Treatment of oromandibular dystonia using botulinum toxin injections – Case series and illustrative muscle targeting

Abstract

Oromandibular dystonia (OMD) is a severely disabling disorder with limited available therapies. Current oral medications for OMD are ineffective and may pose further risks of aspiration particularly in combination states of jaw and tongue dystonia. We advocate the use of Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) injection with proper muscle site selection and dosing as the most effective treatment in OMD clinically. Targeting muscle for injection should involve not only an astute clinical examination and understanding the patient’s history, but perhaps also guided by instrumentation. Based on our previous and present case series, we present specific localization techniques for BoNT in OMD patients subsequent to methodical patient selection, proper BoNT reconstitution and conversion. We believe adequate knowledge and appropriate technique will give our patients greatest benefit and will minimize risk of adverse events following treatment.