Ultrasound-guided Sympathetic Block of the Radial Artery with Botulinum Toxin to Treat Vasospasm

• Published in: Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open 2018-07, Vol.6 (7), p.e1836-e1836
• Main Authors: Weum, Sven, de Weerd, Louis
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Clinical medical disciplines: 750; Ideas and Innovations; Klinisk medisinske fag: 750; Medical disciplines: 700; Medisinske Fag: 700; VDP
• ISSN: 2169-7574; 2169-7574
• DOI: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000001836

Vasospastic disorders in the hand have been treated with surgical sympathectomy and recently with botulinum toxin A (BTX) injections in the palm. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if it is possible to obtain precise administration of BTX around the radial artery using a single ultrasound-guided injection. We present a novel technique using 1 single ultrasound-guided BTX injection around the radial artery to treat vasospastic symptoms. Ten patients were included in a pilot study. All patients were referred by a rheumatologist after been diagnosed with primary or secondary Raynaud. Under ultrasound guidance, BTX was injected around the radial artery and its comitant veins 3–5 cm proximal to the wrist. Ultrasound-guided injection of BTX allowed for a precise distribution of BTX into the perivascular space of the radial artery and its comitant veins. Intravascular injection could easily be excluded. One patient reported temporary reduced grip strength, most likely due to leakage of BTX to the flexor pollicis longus muscle. No other complications were registered. All patients reported reduced number of vasospastic episodes, warmer hands, and reduced pain. Ultrasound-guided injection enables precise administration of BTX in the space surrounding the radial artery and its comitant veins. This novel approach could be a promising treatment for vasospastic disorders of the hands in patients with primary and secondary Raynaud.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal.