title: A rare differential diagnosis in dysphagia: wound botulism.
abstract: The incidence of wound botulism is increasing dramatically among intravenous drug users. Efficient intensive care and early treatment with antitoxin is essential to avoid lethal courses. The clinical picture of botulism is of descending, symmetric, flaccid paralysis. Early symptoms include cranial nerve palsies resulting in blurred vision and diplopia, difficulty in focusing, ptosis, facial weakness, dysphagia, dysphonia, and dysarthria. Because patients presenting with dysarthria and dysphagia will often be seen by an ear, nose and throat specialist initially, this rare but upcoming neurologic disease must be considered in the differential diagnoses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. simon.pruess@uni-koeln.de
authors.forename: Simon Florian
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Preuss
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Veelken
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Galldiks
authors.forename: Jens Peter
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Klussmann
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Neugebauer
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nolden-Hoverath
authors.forename: Karl-Bernd
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Huttenbrink
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001904:Botulinum Antitoxin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001906:Botulism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006556:Heroin Dependence; D006801:Humans; D007828:Laryngoscopy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D035583:Rare Diseases; D012138:Respiratory Therapy; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*; D014139:Tracheostomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D001904:Botulinum Antitoxin