The option of sonographic guidance in Botulinum toxin injection for drooling in Parkinson’s disease

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease is a syndrome that frequently includes drooling, i.e., the involuntary spillage of saliva over the lip margin. Such drooling places a severe burden on both the health and the quality of life of Parkinsonian patients. Its origin lies in the impairment of oral motor control and swallowing associated with Parkinson’s disease. It can be treated surgically or conservatively by reducing the production of saliva in the salivary glands, to which the parotid and submandibular glands make the greatest contribution. Botulinum neurotoxins A and B, administered to these glands, are in increasing use as treatment for drooling from various causes including Parkinson’s disease. Wide knowledge was gathered about preferred drugs, dosages, injection sites and injection-guiding techniques, albeit without providing evidence-based guidance or a clear rationale for the mode of action of the medication or any information about further influential or predictive factors for safety and efficacy. However, it is essential that the relevant glands be targeted accurately; although this can be done by using anatomical landmarks, the use of sonographic guidance seems preferable. In the hands of a trained injector, sonography is a quick and non-invasive imaging technique.