title: Efficacy and side effects of botulinum toxin treatment for blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse the effectiveness and rate of side effects of botulinum toxin treatment for blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a prospective trial, 81 patients with blepharospasm and 70 with hemifacial spasm were treated with botulinum toxin A in the neuroophthalmology clinic at St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne. Some 989 treatments were given and the mean follow-up time was 28.7 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The duration of action was longer for patients with hemifacial spasm than for those with blepharospasm (median 12.0 weeks compared with 7.0 weeks, P < 0.0001). There was no change in the duration of effect over time with repeated treatments of the same dose (F = 0.4, P > 0.05). Once an effective dosage was reached, increasing the dose further did not prolong the duration of effect. There were no systemic side effects, but there were a number of local transient side effects. The most significant side effect was ptosis, which occurred in 12% of treatments given to those patients with blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Botulinum toxin is an effective treatment for blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm, but there are a number of side effects, the most significant being ptosis.
authors.affiliation: St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: O'Day
mesh_terms: D001763:Blepharoptosis / Q000209:etiology; D001764:Blepharospasm / Q000628:therapy*; D001905:Botulinum Toxins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005152:Facial Muscles; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013035:Spasm / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D001905:Botulinum Toxins