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Pallidal stimulation for medically intractable blepharospasm
Kazumichi Yamada1, Naoki Shinojima2, Tadashi Hamasaki3
1Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Kumamoto University Hospital, Kumamoto, Japan.
BMJ Case Reports
|April 2, 2016
Summary
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) effectively treated blepharospasm, a focal dystonia. Globus pallidus internus (GPi) DBS significantly improved involuntary eye closure, demonstrating its potential for focal craniofacial dystonias.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neurosurgery
- Movement Disorders
Background:
- Globus pallidus internus (GPi) deep brain stimulation (DBS) is effective for generalized craniofacial dystonia.
- The efficacy of DBS for blepharospasm, a focal craniofacial dystonia, remains unaddressed.
Observation:
- A 52-year-old male patient presented with medically intractable involuntary eye closure, diagnosed as blepharospasm.
Findings:
- Bilateral GPi-DBS was performed under general anesthesia.
- Continuous GPi stimulation resulted in near-complete abolition of blepharospasm.
- The patient showed an 87.5% improvement on the Burke-Fahn-Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale 15 months post-surgery.
Implications:
- This case study demonstrates the potential efficacy of GPi-DBS for blepharospasm as a focal dystonia.
- Further research with larger case series is warranted to confirm these findings for blepharospasm and other focal craniofacial dystonias.
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