Complications with the Use of Botulinum Toxin Type A in Facial Rejuvenation: Report of 8 Cases

The botulinum toxin A is produced by Clostridium botulinum and causes a reversible, selective muscle relaxation that leads to a temporary flattening of the mechanical component of wrinkling without the stigmata of invasive surgery. Since the end of the 1980s, this neurotoxin has been used to treat mimic facial lines with good results. Although this is considered a safe therapy, with adverse effects typically self-limited, more severe complications have been observed when it is used by nonskilled physicians or in improper dosages. This article reports eight patients treated with botulinum toxin A for aesthetic purposes who developed different complications. Treatment of the complication included the use of electrical stimulation, lymphatic drainage, antiinflammatory therapy, dipivefrine cloridrate drops, and other approaches. With specific treatment for each patient, the lengths of these complications seemed to be reduced.