Atypical posttraumatic dystonia treated successfully by botulinum toxin injection.

Abstract

This study presents the case of a 39-yr-old woman who had atypical involuntary dystonic movements of the shoulder and back. Ten months earlier, she was involved in a motor vehicle collision. Involuntary movements developed abruptly 3 wks before her first visit to the clinic. Her involuntary movements had some atypical features, such as continuous, bizarre, and rhythmic or semirhythmic characteristics, and showed mixed symmetric and asymmetric patterns. She was treated successfully with electromyography-guided botulinum toxin type A injection. Involuntary dystonic movements may be due to posttraumatic dystonia, a relatively uncommon diagnosis. Atypical posttraumatic dystonia may be managed effectively with botulinum toxin type A injections.