Botulinum Toxin Injection for Treatment of Vaginismus

Vaginismus is the recurrent or persistent involuntary contraction of the perineal muscles surrounding the outer third of the vagina when penile, finger, tampon, or speculum penetration is attempted . Vaginismus can be primary, in which the women has never been able to have intercourse, or secondary, which is often due to acquired dyspareunia. It is relatively rare, affecting about 1% of women . Treatment of vaginismus is directed toward extinguishing the conditioned involuntary vaginal spasm. This can be accomplished by teaching Kegel exercises to acquaint the patient with voluntary control of her levator muscles. Medications such as lubricants, anesthetic creams, propranolol, or alprazolam to reduce anxiety have been used effectively, but approximately 10% of patients do not respond. Botulinum toxin type A has been successfully used to treat a wide range of muscular disorders such as strabismus, blepharospasm, and cervical dystonia. It is also been used to reduce facial lines and wrinkles.The extent of paralysis depends on the amount of toxin to which there is exposure relative to muscle bulk.In our previous study, one week after injecting botulinum toxin in 23 patients (95.8%) had a vaginal exam, which showed no or little resistance; 18 (75%) achieved satisfactory intercourse after the first injection. Now we are to make comparison between different doses of toxin injection and record the patient sexual satisfaction.