Botulinum toxin successfully treats senile entropion

(HealthDay)—For patients with spasmodic senile entropion, injection of botulinum toxin results in a high success rate, according to a study published online Jan. 18 in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.

Ivano Iozzo, M.D., from the Dermaplast Medical Center in Bologna, Italy, and colleagues reported the results of 11 cases of involutional entropion of the lower lid successfully treated with an injection of botulinum toxin. Abobotulinum toxin A treatment was administered to 11 patients with senile entropion (average age, 68.09 years). Thirty-five Su units of botulinum toxin were injected into the orbicularis oculi muscle. Completion of the procedure required an average of five minutes. Patients were followed for 24 months.

The researchers found that the entropion had resolved at about seven days after the treatment. At the three-month visit there was only one recurrence. After six and nine months, the recurrence rate was 27 percent. An increasingly long wellness period was seen for patients with recurrence who repeated the procedure.

"In conclusion, although surgical treatment still remains the treatment of choice for senile entropion, botulinum toxin injection is a quick and safe outpatient procedure, which results in temporary improvement of the senile entropion," the authors write.