Treating Glabellar Lines With Botulinum Toxin: Does Your Patient Need to Frown Steadily?

BACKGROUND: The variable relationship between the orbicularis supercilii and frontalis muscles may cause side effects with botulin toxin; steadily frowning is the usual recommendation. Eliminating the need to frown until all injections are over might enhance efficacy and lessen the neurotoxicity risks related to muscle exhaustion. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to investigate whether the digital caliper-assessed distances between the medial and lateral corrugator injection sites and the midline differed significantly in patients persistently frowning from patients resting. METHODS: Seventy-six individuals with glabellar wrinkles treated with botulinum toxin in the authors' private practices for glabellar lines voluntarily contributed their retrospective data about the positions of injection sites. The investigators had freely chosen to inject the medial and lateral sections of the corrugator supercilii during persistent maximum frown or at rest. RESULTS: The mean differences in distances between the medial and lateral injection points and the estimated midline were clinically trivial (1.0 ± 1.28 and 1.5 ± 2.53 mm, respectively), although the distances between the relaxed and contracted medial and lateral injection sites exceeded 1.8 and 2.5 mm in 33.9% and 46.4% of patients, respectively. Distance differences, not significant before 40 years old, were statistically significant only for the lateral injections in older patients (on average, 1.9 ± 3.01 mm). CONCLUSIONS: The average distances from the medial and lateral injection points and the midline appear minimally different in patients who frown until all injections are over and, conversely, patients who rest. Persistently frowning might be advisable only in patients older than 40. Facial asymmetries may be a confounding factor.

Safety of botulinum toxin A in aesthetic treatments: a systematic review of clinical studies.

BACKGROUND: The use of botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) for aesthetic treatments is growing steadily, and new safety data have been reported in recently published studies. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the safety data on the use of the three BoNT-A formulations approved for facial aesthetics from recent studies and to confirm their safety profiles. METHODS: The literature search was conducted using three online databases restricted to the timeframe from January 2000 to June 2012. Only clinical trials, randomized or open label, with safety as the primary or secondary endpoint, were included. RESULTS: Thirty-five papers were selected, with a total of subjects 8,787 studied. OnabotulinumtoxinA was used in 60.0% of the studies, abobotulinumtoxinA in 37.1%, and incobotulinumtoxinA in 2.8%. The glabella was the most investigated area (51.4%), followed by the upper face (25.7%), crow's feet (11.4%), and lower face (11.4%). Treatment-related adverse events were blepharoptosis (2.5%), brow ptosis (3.1%), and eye sensory disorders (3%) in the upper face and lip asymmetries and imbalances in the lower face (6.9%). All of these events resolved spontaneously. CONCLUSION: The short-term safety profile of BoNT-A in cosmetic nonsurgical procedures was confirmed for all the three commercial formulations.

Review Article a Multidisciplinary Evaluation for Advanced Supportive Care of Breast Cancer Patients.

Background: Cancer cases diagnosed each year are increasing, mainly because the population is ageing and, in part, due to early detection. This implies that there are more and more persons that receive medical anticancer therapies and that are interested in maintaining their quality of life. Many oncological treatments, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy, and combined therapy are associated with cutaneous toxicity and long-term side effects to different tissues and organs. This is particularly relevant when new therapies are used since these may cause new and unexpected side effects that may be short-lived but, in some cases, may become chronic or permanent. Patients often seek advice with their oncologists on what can be done and what cannot be done. Notably, many of the cutaneous side effects can be prevented or reduced by adequate interventions. Summary: The aim of this review is to highlight how oncological patients may benefit from a closer collaboration between specialists in different branches. We will focus on women with breast cancer since we think that they may derive a special benefit from this collaboration, but we will analyse other cancers in future papers. Key Messages: The working group was created to help the medical doctor in the prevention and management of all the adverse effects of the oncological treatments, supporting patients in this phase of their life, including nutritional assessment and dietary support.

OnabotulinumtoxinA from lines to facial reshaping: A new Italian consensus report.

BACKGROUND: Botulinum neurotoxin type A is the most widely used nonsurgical treatment for esthetic improvement of the face and neck. In 2015, an Italian consensus panel met to discuss the optimal methods for using onabotulinumtoxinA. However, clinical practice continues to evolve and the original report is now considered obsolete. AIMS: To provide updated guidance on the esthetic uses of onabotulinumtoxinA in the face and neck. METHODS: A panel of 10 Italian specialists (including plastic and maxillofacial surgeons, dermatologists, and esthetic doctors) individually completed a questionnaire on their own clinical practice, and then met to discuss their responses and agree on a revised treatment consensus. RESULTS: Recommendations are provided on patient assessment, reconstitution of onabotulinumtoxinA, and preferred procedures (injection sites, doses, anatomical targets, safety precautions, etc.) across a variety of treatment areas, including glabellar, crow's feet, and forehead lines; brow lifting and shaping; lower eyelid hypertrophy; bunny lines; sagging nasal tip; gummy smile; masseter hypertrophy; perioral lines; marionette lines and "sad mouth;" mentalis hypertonia; and platysma bands. Some of the recommended doses are substantially increased from the previous consensus (particularly in the upper third and masseter) for the purpose of achieving longer lasting results without affecting safety. Furthermore, two increasingly popular techniques-the Nefertiti lift and Microbotox-are included in the consensus for the first time. CONCLUSIONS: Optimal practice with onabotulinumtoxinA requires a systematic approach to maximize safety and effectiveness across the range of potential uses. The present consensus was developed to support these aims.

Consensus report on the use of PN-HPT™ (polynucleotides highly purified technology) in aesthetic medicine.

BACKGROUND: Injective procedures using polynucleotides-based products to promote dermal rejuvenation and revitalization are steadily evolving, yet no structured protocols are available that discuss and provide guidance in aesthetic treatments with highly purified polynucleotides. The goal of this document was to provide consensus-based recommendations for the safe and effective use of Polynucleotides Highly Purified Technology™ (PN-HPT™) devices for skin rejuvenation. PATIENTS/METHODS: A team of eight experts with extensive experience in treatments for skin rejuvenation and revitalization integrated the best available evidence and clinical judgment and devised a series of practical guidance to support dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and aesthetic physician in the use of PN-HPT™ products, alone and in combination, in aesthetic medicine. RESULTS: For most items, the expert group achieved a majority consensus. "Recommendations" (consensus >80%) were reached for the face, periocular area, décolleté and neck, hands, scalp, and stretch marks. Recommendations include details of techniques, information on dosage, volumes to be injected, and the ideal number of required treatment sessions, as well as time intervals between them for different areas of face and body. A lower agreement level of 60% was reached on but one item related to the initial treatment cycle for the face, leading to a "Consensus statement" for that area instead of a full "Recommendation." CONCLUSION: The expert consensus illustrates the value of natural-origin, highly purified polynucleotides (PN-HPT™) as biostimulatory booster strategy for skin priming and revitalization of face and body and provides a detailed guide for the use.

Italian consensus report on the aesthetic use of onabotulinum toxin A.

BACKGROUND: The aesthetic treatment of facial and neck wrinkles with botulinum toxin is constantly increasing, thus making it necessary to collect procedures guidelines for the use of botulinum toxin in the treatment of wrinkles and/or cosmetic defects. METHODS: A group of nine Italian doctors, plastic and maxillo-facial surgeons, dermatologists and aesthetic physicians, experts in face and neck aesthetic treatments with onabotulinum toxin A, discussed on procedures used in their clinical practice. From the data collected and discussed by the board, some recommendations on aesthetic treatment with onabotulinum toxin A were developed. RESULTS: Recommendations have been made on pretreatment, reconstitution of onabotulinum toxin A, as well as on treatment procedures, in terms of injection sites and total dose of onabotulinum toxin A for the following indications: glabellar lines, crown's feet lines, forehead lines, eyebrow shaping, lower orbicularis oculi hypertrophy, bunny lines, sagging nasal tip, gummy smile, masseter hypertrophy, perioral lines, marionette lines, hypertonic mentalis, and platysma bands. CONCLUSIONS: The use of onabotulinum toxin A in the aesthetic field requires careful initial assessment of the patient in its complexity and individuality. Moreover, this treatment needs the use of standardized procedures to achieve the effectiveness and safety of onabotulinum toxin A in clinical practice.