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| |  DG DISPATCH - AAO: Botox Injections Result In Fewer Migraines, Wrinkle-Free Foreheads By Andrew Bowser Special to DG News
NEW ORLEANS, LA -- September 29, 1999 -- A wrinkle-fighting injection popular among cosmetic surgeons may also have significant migraine-fighting properties, according to data presented Tuesday at Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology (AAO) - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, being held this week in New Orleans, LA.
The data came from a multi-center, open-label study of botulinum toxin (Botox) injected into the glabellar, temporalis, corrugator and occipital muscles and temporal region of the face in 97 patients, 75 of whom had a confirmed diagnosis of migraine. Of 110 treatments, 50.4 percent resulted in complete improvement of migraine and 32 percent partial improvement. No improvement (defined as less than 50 percent reduction in headache frequency or severity) was noted in 17.4 percent of patients. Dr. William J. Binder, of Los Angeles, CA., who presented his findings Tuesday at AAO, said the most significant findings were regarding the duration of treatment effect: the average benefit for Botox was 4.1 +/- 2.6 months for complete responders, compared to 2.7 +/- 1.1 months for the partial responders. By comparison, the efficacy of most migraine medications on the market today is measured in hours. Dr. Binder is a private practice facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon in Los Angeles, California, USA (Beverly Hills). He is a diplomate of the American Board of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. Dr. Binder said it remains unknown why a local injection of botulinum toxin would produce anti-migraine effects - as early as one to two hours for 13 patients with acute or possible migraine - but the phenomenon has been observed anecdotally since around 1994. Botox is a safe and effective therapeutic treatment for migraine, the only adverse reactions noted being transient local pain at the injection site and ecchymosis, or a purple patch on the skin, he said. Dr. Binder is one of the first physicians to make the observation that botulinum toxin could eliminate wrinkles via local injection. He noted that one side effect of the injection regarded as being an added benefit by some patients, who were on average 43.9 years old and mostly female: wrinkle resolution consistent with what is observed in standard cosmetic therapy. "You get a two-for-one," Dr. Binder said.
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