Book Review: Botulinum Neurotoxin for Head and Neck Disorders

Abstract

A Blitzer, BE Benson, J Guss . Botulinum Neurotoxin for Head and Neck Disorders. New York: Thieme, 2012. ISBN-10: 1604065850 Botulinum Neurotoxin for Head and Neck Disorders is a moderately sized text covering a very specific, clinically relevant, and contemporary topic that is applicable to physicians in many specialties, including plastic surgery, facial plastic surgery, otolaryngology/head and neck surgery (Oto-HNS), neurology, and dentistry. An initial review of the contents of the text reveal several appealing color illustrations and diagrams and a moderately large, easy-to-read font. The 19 chapters are subdivided into 4 distinct topic sections: dystonia, other motor disorders, pain syndromes, and autonomic disorders. Following the Table of Contents is a listing of 22 online videos that demonstrate the injection techniques described in the text. The foreword provides the reader with a brief history of the medical uses of botulinum toxin (BoNT) to be described in the text, including strabismus, focal dystonias such as spasmodic dysphonia and blepharospasm, migraine headache, hyperhidrosis, and wrinkle reduction. The preface describes the intended audience for the book, which includes clinicians familiar with treating a variety of disorders affecting the head and neck—plastic surgeons, otolaryngologists, neurologists, dentists, and pain specialists. After reading this book, we would agree with the intended audience and add medical students and novice practitioners to the list. This book provides a comprehensive review of the more common clinical applications of BoNT, including the treatment of focal dystonias, pain syndromes, and cosmetic applications. Included in each section are descriptions of the pathology under consideration, important differential diagnostic considerations, accepted medical and surgical therapies for each condition, the role of BoNT in ameliorating …