Effects of botulinum toxin A injection on ocular surface in patients with blepharospasm and dry eye
10.3760/cma.j.cn341190-20241030-01402
- VernacularTitle:BTX-A对眼睑痉挛伴干眼患者眼表的影响
- Author:
Yamin HU
1
;
Yun XU
1
;
Lingling LIU
1
;
Cheng DU
1
Author Information
1. 嘉兴市中医医院眼科，嘉兴 314000
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Xerophthalmia;
Blepharospasm;
Botulinum toxins, type A;
Injections, subcutaneous;
Vision tests
- From:
Chinese Journal of Primary Medicine and Pharmacy
2025;32(11):1618-1622
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To investigate the effects of botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) injection on ocular surface in patients with blepharospasm and dry eye.Methods:In this prospective study, 56 patients (83 eyes) with essential blepharospasm who were treated with BTX-A in the Department of Ophthalmology of Jiaxing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from April 2020 to January 2022 were included. The patients were divided into blepharospasm with dry eye group (group A, 50 eyes) and simple blepharospasm group (group B, 33 eyes) according to whether they were accompanied by dry eye. The Oculus Keratograph was used to evaluate tear meniscus height (TMH), tear break-up time (BUT), ocular bulbar redness, and corneal fluorescein staining. The OPD-Scan III analyzer was used to measure the corneal surface regularity index. The Ocular Surface Disease Index and meibomian gland analysis were performed to diagnose dry eye before treatment. Paired t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were conducted to analyze the data. In patients with unilateral conditions, the ocular surface data of the affected and healthy eyes were compared before treatment. The severity of blepharospasm was evaluated in both groups before treatment and 1 week after treatment. Results:Among the 56 patients, 57.1% (32/56) were diagnosed with dry eye. One week after BTX-A injection treatment, both groups demonstrated varying degrees of improvement in their conditions. In patients with unilateral blepharospasm, pre-treatment ocular surface examinations indicated that the affected eye had a lower tear BUT of (6.67 ± 3.86) seconds and a lower TMH of (0.18 ± 0.07) mm compared with the healthy eye, which showed (10.20 ± 5.95) seconds for BUT and (0.20 ± 0.05) mm for TMH ( t = -3.94, -2.44, both P < 0.05). Additionally, the ocular bulbar redness value was significantly higher in the affected eye [(1.75 ± 0.38)] than in the healthy eye [(1.65 ± 0.47), t = 2.16, P < 0.05]. After treatment, both groups exhibited significant increases in BUT and TMH compared with their pre-treatment values ( t = -6.27, -4.21, -2.56, -3.12, all P < 0.05). Furthermore, both groups showed significant decreases in ocular bulbar redness values compared with pre-treatment values ( t = 3.04, 3.32, both P < 0.05). In group A, the corneal fluorescein staining score post-treatment was significantly lower than the pre-treatment value ( Z = 2.10, P < 0.05). However, in group B, the FL score did not show a significant difference between pre-treatment and post-treatment. ( Z = 0.03, P > 0.05). There were also no significant differences in the surface regularity index between the two groups both before and after treatment ( t = 1.35, 0.65, both P > 0.05). Conclusions:Blepharospasm can affect the stability of the tear film on the ocular surface, and BTX-A injection can help relieve dry eye caused by essential blepharospasm.
