The use of thymoxamine in eyelid retraction.
We observed substantial narrowing in 75% of fissures in patients with various types of lid retraction after topical application of aqueous 0.5% thymoxamine (moxisylyte). Even contralateral normal-appearing fissures in thyroid patients responded in this manner. The nonresponders in the lid retraction group included a patient with an orbital pseudotumor and patients with long-standing and stable euthyroid eye disease. No normal subjects' fissures responded greatly to thymoxamine. A substantial reduction in palpebral fissures was seen in all patients with thick extraocular muscles and in 14 of 18 (78%) of all fissures of thyroid patients; the average response was 2.3 mm. This effect may last for five hours after thymoxamine administration. Thymoxamine may be of use as a diagnostic test for thyroid eye disease, and if it can be modified to cause less ocular irritation, it may be beneficial in the medical treatment of eyelid retraction.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005141:Eyelid Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013948:Moxisylyte / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000150:complications
D013948:Moxisylyte