TY - JOUR T1 - INJECTION OF BOTULINUM TOXIN IN THE TREATMENT OF ACHALASIA: A RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE BLIND, CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL TT - JF - MJIRI JO - MJIRI VL - 15 IS - 3 UR - http://mjiri.iums.ac.ir/article-1-792-en.html Y1 - 2001 SP - 123 EP - 127 KW - Achalasia KW - botulinum toxin KW - Treatment KW - Clinical response. N2 - Our aim was to evaluate the short and long term efficacy of botulinum toxin therapy in Iranian patients with achalasia. In a randomized, double blind trial, 20 patients with achalasia, referring to Imam Khomeini Hospital, received either 80 units of botulinum toxin (BT) or placebo (PL) from 1995 to 1998. Two weeks later, the response to treatment was assessed on the basis of changes in the symptom score (measured on a scale from o to 9). Patients who received PL initially were subsequently treated with BT. After two weeks and six months, assessment was repeated. Two weeks after treatment, clinical evaluation revealed that in the BT group all clinical symptoms were improved and the total symptom score had significantly decreased from 6.2±1.4 to 1.9±1.66 (p M3 ER -