[Treatment of facial spasm with botulin A toxin]

The authors use injections of botulinum A toxin in treatment of facial spasms. 105 patients (70 patients with blepharospasm, 35 patients with hemispasm) were treated during 4 years. The toxin Wisconsin relieved spasms for an average of 10 weeks. Local complications such as ptosis and diplopia appeared in less than 1/5 of the cases. No general complications were observed. Repeated treatments are necessary. The authors noted a decrease of lacrimal secretion on the treated side in hemifacial spasm and concluded that botulinum A toxin injections could be used as a treatment of epiphora.