Is Botulinum Toxin A Effective for Managing Provoked Vestibulodynia?

Although improvement was minimal in this randomized trial, BTA may have a role when other therapies fail.

Provoked vestibulodynia is characterized by severe pain when the mucosa surrounding the vaginal opening is touched. Common treatments include pelvic floor physical therapy, lidocaine injection, and psychosexual counseling, but injection of botulinum toxin A (BTA) into the pelvic floor musculature has been used increasingly even without compelling evidence of effectiveness. Swedish investigators conducted a randomized trial of active treatment (50 units BTA) versus placebo injected bilaterally in the bulbocavernosus muscles twice at 3-month intervals in 88 women (age range, 18–40) with symptoms of at least 3 months' duration.

Posttreatment self-reported dyspareunia or pain at tampon use as indicated on a visual analog scale of 0–100 (the prim…

Reviewing Author

Robert W. Rebar, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardMyovant Sciences, Inc.

Editorial BoardsEndoText; Clinical OB/GYN Alert

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society for Reproductive Medicine (Member, Ethics Committee)

Robert W. Rebar, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardMyovant Sciences, Inc.

Editorial BoardsEndoText; Clinical OB/GYN Alert

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society for Reproductive Medicine (Member, Ethics Committee)

Is Botulinum Toxin A Effective for Managing Provoked Vestibulodynia?

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Reviewing Author