Ultrasound-guided botulinum toxin A injection in the treatment of belly dancer’s dyskinesia

BACKGROUND: Belly dancer’s dyskinesia is an extremely rare condition. It manifests as semicontinuous, slow, writhing, sinuous abdominal wall movements that are bothersome to the patient. Management of this condition is extremely difficult and challenging. METHODS: We describe four patients with belly dancer’s dyskinesia who were treated with Botulinum Toxin A (BTX) injections under ultrasound guidance. RESULTS: All patients underwent the same BTX injection procedure using an aseptic technique under ultrasound guidance. The patients responded well to the BTX injections after an unsatisfactory course of medical treatment. The patients reported complete abolishment of abnormal abdominal movements with no side effects. CONCLUSIONS: We report a cohort of patients with belly dancer dyskinesia treated successfully with BTX injections. Ultrasound guidance for injections increases the accuracy and reduces the risk of the complications. BTX injection under ultrasound guidance is a safe and effective treatment modality that should be employed as a first-line in the management of patients with belly dancer’s dyskinesia. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12883-016-0746-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.