Severe Dysphagia after botulinum toxin B injection to the lower limbs and lumbar paraspinal muscles

We report a case of severe dysphagia in a 29-yr-old woman with cerebral palsy after she was injected with botulinum toxin B to her lower limbs and lumbar paraspinal muscles. Four days after the treatment, she developed difficulty swallowing, more severe for solid foods than for liquids, accompanied by dry mouth, blurred vision, and voice hoarseness. Fifteen days after the injection, with worsening of her dysphagia, she was hospitalized. A laryngoscopic evaluation revealed bilateral vocal cord paresis, and a modified barium swallow test demonstrated delayed oral initiation, upper airway penetration, and no reflexive cough. In the following days, she improved spontaneously and was discharged 12 days later when she re-acquired the ability to swallow solid foods. Her symptoms resolved completely only 75 days after the injection. Although dysphagia is a common side effect of botulinum injection in the neck, to our knowledge, this is the first reported case of severe dysphagia after injection in a distant anatomic site.