Essential blepharospasm: Practice-oriented therapy with botulinum toxin employing reduced treatment intervals; [Essenzieller Blepharospasmus: Praxisnahe Therapie mit Botulinumtoxin unter Verwendung verkürzter Behandlungsintervalle]

Background: Botulinum neurotoxin injections are a primary symptomatic treatment for blepharospasm. Injections are generally repeated every 3 months. For patients with short-term treatment effects there have therefore been long intervals without sufficient treatment effects, as reinjections have previously been avoided due to concerns of increased side effects or production of antibodies against complexing proteins. Methods: As Xeomin® is a pure A botulinum toxin type complexing proteins are not present. We have hence decided to treat appropriate patients with injection intervals of 10 or less weeks if these patients have been suffering from psychological stress. Patients: In 11 of these patients the typical patient characteristics and course of therapy were analyzed. There were no relevant adverse events. In all patients, time periods without treatment effect were shorter or no longer present. In 6 patients injection intervals could be prolonged after several injections due to the good effect. Conclusion: An optimized therapy of essential blepharospasm should not only take dose, dose distribution and injections site into account but also injection intervals. Reinjections could be performed if necessary after at least 6 weeks. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.