The following is a summary of “OnabotulinumtoxinA improves oral aperture in patients with scleroderma: A small clinical trial,” published in the November 2023 issue of Dermatology by Gonzalez, et al.
Reduced oral aperture (ROA), a challenging manifestation of systemic sclerosis (SSc), often poses limited therapeutic options. For a study, researchers sought to prospectively assess the effectiveness of onabotulinumtoxinA (onabotA) injections in enhancing oral opening and quality of life for individuals with SSc-associated ROA.
About 17 female SSc patients with ROA received treatment involving the administration of 16 units of onabotA distributed across eight sites around the cutaneous lips. Measurements of maximum mouth opening were recorded before treatment, at a 2-week posttreatment interval, and a 3-month posttreatment follow-up. Additionally, surveys were employed to evaluate functional aspects and quality of life.
The results demonstrated a significant increase in interincisor and interlabial distances two weeks after onabotA treatment (P < .001). However, this improvement was not sustained at the 3-month follow-up. Despite this transient effect on physical measurements, participants reported a subjective enhancement in their quality of life.
While acknowledging the limitations of the single-institution study with a small cohort and the absence of a placebo control group, the findings suggested that onabotA exhibits a robust short-term symptomatic benefit for individuals dealing with ROA due to SSc. Furthermore, there was a potential positive impact on these patients’ quality of life.
Source: jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(23)01019-8/fulltext
