Botox treat Hypersalivation in CHARGE Syndrome Patients

Filed in archive Drugs, Vaccines and Therapeutics on March 19, 2008

Botox is popularly known as a drug used in cosmetic procedures. Another less known application, however is in the treatment of CHARGE Syndrome, a congenital genetic disease characterized by heart defects, swallowing and breathing difficulties. The lungs are hyper-stimulated and secrete excessive fluids that may cause asphyxia if tracheotomies are not performed.

Doctors from the Montreal Children's Hospital of the McGill University Health Centre however, have been able to successfully control saliva production in CHARGE patients by injecting minute doses of Botox into the salivary glands.

Since this first attempt 5 years ago, Dr. Daniel has performed over 1000 botox injections in young children including 12 in newborns. "This treatment is extremely effective, and to date I have not encountered any major side effects despite the bad press Botox got recently. It also helps us considerably improve the lives of our patients," he explained.

The details of the first case has been described in an article published in the Archives of Otolaryngology.