Botulinum toxins history

Five cases of severe headache refractory to oral analgesics have been reported in patients treated with 10-38 MU of botulinum toxin for glabella frown lines (n = 4) and in a patient treated with 120 MU for palmar hyperhidrosis (10). The headache lasted for 8 days to 4 weeks, did not respond to oral prednisolone, and in some patients was accompanied by photophobia, ear tenderness, or nasal congestion. Two patients had had a similar headache after a previous treatment with botulinum toxin and in another patient a similar headache occurred after the next treatment. None of the patients had a history of severe headaches. 

Erbguth FJ and Naumann M (2000) On the first systematic descriptions of botulism and botulinum toxin by Justinus Kerner (1786-1862). Journal of the History of the Neurosciences 9(2) 218-220. 

A FOOTNOTE TO HISTORY WAS BOTULINUM TOXIN USED IN THE ASSASSINATION OF REINHARD HEYDRICH ... 

The least common form of human botulism, botulism from intestinal colonization, includes cases in patients greater than 1 year of age not associated with ingestion of contaminated food or wound infection with the only possibility being intestinal colonization (38). Stool in these patients will contain toxin and C. botulinum, and the suspected food may contain spores without preformed toxin. Some cases occur in patients with a history of gastrointestinal surgery or inflammatory bowel disease, conditions that could support enteric colonization of B. botulinum (38). In 2001, in the United States, one case of adult colonization botulism occurred in a 45 year old who survived (39). 

The history of botulism, the chemistry and pharmacology of the toxin, and the occurrence and growth of Cl. botulinum have all been extensively reviewed in recent years This paper summarises new data on the incidence of botulism and considers some of the ways by which control of Cl. botulinum may be effected in foods. 

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