Inga Koerte MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Sebastian Schröder, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Birgit Betina Ertl-Wagner MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Stefanie Britsch MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Michael Schroeder, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Stefan Nikolin, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Joachim Weis, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Müller-Felber Wolfgang, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Steffen Berweck MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Ingo Borggraefe, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Florian Heinen, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Maximilian F. Reiser MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

00030490-DMT et al, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Despite numerous clinical and experimental studies on botulinum toxin type a (BoNT/A), long-term alterations of muscle texture and fine structure following BoNT/A treatment have thus far not been studied in normal human skeletal muscle.

After obtaining institutional review board approval, we performed a prospective, placebo-controlled, double-blinded follow-up study on two healthy adults using MRI and muscle biopsy to visualize long-term alterations after a single BoNT/A injection into the lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscle.

MRI disclosed a high-signal-intensity pattern (HSIP) in short tau inversion recovery sequences (STIR), and a reduction of the cross-sectional area in the BoNT/A injected, but not in the saline-injected contralateral control muscle (at 6 and 9 months in volunteer A: 73%, in B: 62%; at 12 months in A: 88%, and in B: 78%). Enzyme histochemistry, 12 months after injection, confirmed neurogenic atrophy of muscle fibers only in the BoNT/A-injected muscle. Electron microscopy revealed additional degenerative changes at the neuromuscular junction.  

The data confirm that MRI is a suitable tool to monitor the long-term effect of BoNT/A on skeletal muscle. Neurogenic muscle atrophy following a single BoNT/A injection should be taken into consideration when repeated BoNT/A injections into the same muscles are proposed.

The data confirm that MRI is a suitable tool to monitor the long-term effect of BoNT/A on skeletal muscle.

Koerte, I, Schröder, S, Ertl-Wagner, B, Britsch, S, Schroeder, M, Nikolin, S, Weis, J, Wolfgang, M, Berweck, S, Borggraefe, I, Heinen, F, Reiser, M, et al, 0, Long-term MRI Alterations One Year after a Single Dose of Botulinum Toxin Injected into the Lateral Gastrocnemius Muscle of Healthy Volunteers .  Radiological Society of North America 2009 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 29 - December 4, 2009 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2009/8015722.html