The effect of botulinum toxin in the masticatory and constrictor musculature of the pharynx as an option in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea: a case report.

UNLABELLED: The botulinum toxin (BT) is United States Food and Drug Administration-approved for therapeutic applications in different medical conditions. However, BT is not considered an obstructive sleep apnea therapy. Obstructive sleep apnea is characterized by recurrent airway collapse during sleep, leading to intermittent hypoxia, hypercapnia, and arousal. The application of BT in pharyngeal and masticatory musculature can reduce its constrictive activity, attenuating the obstructions. We present the first case report of a 38-year-old man with severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome who underwent a BT infiltration in palatoglossal, stylohyoid, and masseter muscles bilaterally to treat obstructive sleep apnea itself. He had significant clinical and polysomnographic improvement during the muscle afferent block by intramuscular injection of BT, without adverse effects.

CITATION: Ottoline ACX, da Cunha Viana A, Migueis DP. The effect of botulinum toxin in the masticatory and constrictor musculature of the pharynx as an option in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea: a case report. J Clin Sleep Med. 2025;21(2):431-434.