Objective: To present the clinical profile of 61 patients with blepharospasm who were treated with onabotulinum toxin injections. 

Background: Blepharospasm is a focal dystonia that manifests with involuntary spasmodic eyelid closure and can cause visual disability. Botulinum toxin injection is the most effective treatment option.

Methods: Sixty-one patients diagnosed and followed up in movement disorders unit of a tertiary care university hospital in year 2016 as blepharospasm were included to this study. All patients treated with onabotulinum toxin A injections.

Results: Thirty-five of 61 patients were female and 26 were male. The average ages were 60.5 (29-82 years) and 62.2 (27-88 years), respectively. Onabotulinum toxin A injections were performed into the orbicularis oculi, procerus and corrugator muscles with a mean dose of 59.8 units regularly. There were accompanying Parkinson’s disease in 8 patients, cervical dystonia in 8 patients, oromandibular dystonia in 3 patients and Fahr disease in 1 patient. Four of the patients were misdiagnosed as myasthenia gravis and one had twice unsuccessful eyelid surgery before the diagnosis.

Conclusions: Blepharospasm can cause visual disability and it can be treated successfully with botulinum toxin injections. It can be accompanied with Parkinson’s disease, cervical dystonia and oromandibular dystonia. Also blepharospasm must be differentiated from myasthenia gravis and clinicians must avoid unnecessary eyelid surgeries.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/clinical-profile-of-patients-with-blepharospasm/