title: Clinical features and treatment with botulinum toxin in blepharospasm: a 17-year experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It was to analyze clinical aspects of patients with blepharospasm, including outcomes of botulinum toxin treatment. Additionally, clinical characteristics of isolated blepharospasm were compared to those of blepharospasm plus other movement disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical data recorded during 17 years were reviewed. The variables included age, gender, age of onset, past medical history, head trauma, smoking history, family history of dystonia, severity, duration of botulinum toxin relief and adverse effects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 125 patients were included and 75.2% were female. The mean age of onset was 54.3 years; 89.6% of the individuals started with contractions in eye region, and 39.2% of them spread to lower face or neck. Isolated blepharospasm group was compared with blepharospasm-plus group for demographic and clinical features, and therapeutic outcomes, without significant differences. Botulinum toxin treatment improved the severity of contractions (p=0.01) with low rate of side effects (14%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both groups - isolated blepharospasm and blepharospasm-plus - shared similar results concerning epidemiology, clinical features and therapeutic response to botulinum toxin.
authors.affiliation: Movement Disorder Unit, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo SP, Brazil. camilakt@bol.com.br
authors.forename: Camila Catherine
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Aquino
authors.forename: Andre C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Felício
authors.forename: Pollyanna Celso Felipe de
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: Ricardo Araujo
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Sonia Maria Cesar Azevedo
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Vanderci
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: Henrique Ballalai
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Ferraz
mesh_terms: D018726:Anti-Dyskinesia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001764:Blepharospasm / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001905:Botulinum Toxins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D020821:Dystonic Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D018726:Anti-Dyskinesia Agents; D001905:Botulinum Toxins