Botulinum toxin type A as a novel method of preventing cleft lip scar hypertrophy-A literature review

Background Cleft lip is a congenital development defect. Primary cleft lip repair leads to cleft scar formation. The resulting scar often undergoes hypertrophy, which negatively affects the facial esthetics, function, and patient's mental health. One of the methods used in scar therapy described in recent years is botulinum toxin injections The aim of this work is to present current knowledge about the impact of botulinum toxin A on cleft lip scar appearance and its effect on scar hypertrophy. Methods The literature search was conducted in the English language via the PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Results The results show injections seem to be a promising method in cleft lip scar management. However, future studies, especially randomized controlled trials, are necessary to assess the effect of BoNT-A compared with placebo and to determine the optimal dosages and injection schemes for BoNT-A treatment in cleft lip patients.