Abstract
Purpose: :
To evaluate the efficacy and incidence of recurrences on the treatment of age related entropion using injection of botulinum toxin in our Ophthalmology Department of Insubria University.
Methods: :
140 eyes in 113 patients with a diagnosis of senile entropion were included in this study. Inclusion criteria were the age >65 years old and symptomatic age–related entropion. The treatment was performed with the infiltration of 5UI of botulinum toxin in the preseptal temporal space of the orbicular muscle on the affected eye. According to the study protocol we repeated the treatment every 3 months in all patients.
Results: :
Out of 140 eyes, 6 (4%) have a complete regression of the pathology after 2 injections and patients decided to withdraw the study, 24 eyes (17%) underwent the standard surgical intervention after 3 injections, due to continue recurrences of the pathology and its severe complications. 56 eyes (40%) has discontinued the treatment after average 4 injections for the regression of the pathology, 21 eyes (15%)withdraw the study after the first injection. 33 eyes (24%) are still in therapy with botulinum toxin for the 6th average injection. No side effects due to the botulinum toxin, like epiphora, were registered on our study.
Conclusions: :
The possibility to treat patients presenting age related entropion with a injection procedure represents a good alternative to surgery. The injection of botulinum toxin as showed on our study doesn’t represent a resolving treatment for that pathology but in most cases allows patients to avoid surgical treatment for a quite long period. Recurrences could be efficiently treated with further injections without important side effects of the treatment, despite the shortening of their action time.
Keywords: eyelid • degenerations/dystrophies • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: outcomes/complications