Treatment of Frey's syndrome with botulinum toxin type B

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Frey's syndrome is a frequent sequela of parotidectomy, causing facial sweating and flushing because of gustatory stimuli. Although botulinum toxin type A has become first-line therapy for Frey's syndrome, some patients become resistant. In this study, we investigated whether another serotype, botulinum toxin type B, might be an effective alternative. STUDY DESIGN: Case series with planned data collection. SETTING: Otolaryngology department in a university hospital. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Seven patients aged 30 to 68 years, with severe Frey's syndrome, underwent the Minor test and had 80 U of botulinum toxin type B per cm2 (mean total dose, 2354 U) injected intracutaneously in the mapped area of gustatory sweating. All patients were followed up for 12 months. RESULTS: One month after treatment, six of the seven patients reported that gustatory sweating and flushing had resolved, and, in the remaining patient, these symptoms had decreased. The Minor test confirmed a significant improvement. The subjective benefits remained stable for six months in four patients and for nine months in the remaining three patients; 12 months after treatment, all patients still reported some improvement. CONCLUSION: Botulinum toxin type B afforded symptomatic relief in a small sample of patients with Frey's syndrome and might be considered a potential alternative to botulinum toxin type A. © 2010 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation. All rights reserved.