Botulinum Toxin A Injection for Treatment of Chronic Skin Ulcer: A Case Series and Literature Review

Int J Low Extrem Wounds. 2019 Mar;18(1):97-103. doi: 10.1177/1534734618816589. Epub 2019 Jan 29.

Abstract

Chronic skin ulcer (CSU) often combines with a variety of refractory factors that respond poorly to routine treatments. Botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) can be injected subcutaneously to improve the local blood supply, to reduce pain, and to promote wound healing. At present, few reports have mentioned BTX-A injection for chronic skin ulcer treatment. We observed the effect of four cases that used BTX-A to treat CSU and provided a brief review of the literature. Four cases of CSUs with 4 different causes were treated with BTX-A injection (4 U/cm2). The specific operation is as follows: local, multipoint, cyclic, equidistant, and subcutaneous injections with a depth of 6 to 8 mm. The ulcer area was significantly reduced. Subsequently, the ulcer healed within 20 to 48 days. Botulinum toxin A is recommended as an important treatment for chronic skin ulcer that can improve healing of skin ulcers with various etiologies.

Keywords: botulinum toxin A; case report; chronic skin ulcer; treatment.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Botulinum Toxins, Type A / administration & dosage*
  • Chronic Disease
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Injections, Intralesional
  • Injections, Subcutaneous
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Patient Safety / statistics & numerical data
  • Risk Assessment
  • Sampling Studies
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Skin Ulcer / drug therapy*
  • Skin Ulcer / pathology*
  • Skin Ulcer / physiopathology
  • Wound Healing / drug effects*
  • Wound Healing / physiology

Substances

  • Botulinum Toxins, Type A