Botulinum toxin: a new therapeutic use.

Botulinum Toxin is a powerful neurotoxin whose therapeutic uses for smooth muscle disorders have received little attention. Through innovative research, gastroenterologists at Johns Hopkins Hospital have developed a simple, less traumatic therapeutic use for this toxin in the treatment of achalasia. In this article, the authors describe the pathophysiology of this disease, its diagnosis and traditional treatment, and the newest potential therapy, Botulinum Toxin (BoTx) injection.