our aim was to evaluate the short and long term efficacy of botulinum toxin therapy in iranian patients with achalasia. in a randomized, double blind trial, 20 patients with achalasia, referring to imam khomeini hospital, received either 80 units of botulinum toxin (bt) or placebo (pl) from 1995 to 1998. two weeks later, the response to treatment was assessed on the basis of changes in the symp...