Botox’s Place in the Complex Treatment of Oculomotor System Pathology (the Optimal “Portrait” of the Patient for the Chemodenervation)

Introduction. To summarize our fifteen-years clinical experience of using Botox in strabismology and determine the indications for the most effective use of chemodenervation in the complex treatment of oculomotor system pathology.

Patients and methods. To carry out chemodenervation of extraocular muscles, Botox was used. The optimal dose of Botox for intramuscular injection ranged from 1.25 to 5.0 units. The choice of dosage depends on the patient’s age, the type oculomotor system pathology, the level of muscular dysfunction and the purpose of the treatment. The treatment was performed in 376 patients with various disorders of oculomotor system. At the time of treatment, the patients’ ages ranged from 12 to 78 years. Injection of Botox into the extraocular muscles in all cases was the primary method of treatment.

Results. In general, the state of relative functional recovery was achieved in 71.81% of cases (in 270 patients). The best results were obtained in treatment of decompensated heterophories, acute heterotrophies, atypical heterotrophies and primary hyperfunction of the inferior oblique muscles (in 100% of cases). In these conditions, the binocular vision was preserved in patients, and the imbalance of the oculomotor system did not show any sign of incomitance. However, patients with paralysis and paresis of the cranial nerves chemodenervation allowed creating conditions for a more complete restoration of muscular functions, to avoid the occurrence of a secondary imbalance in the oculomotor system. In 70.3% cases (185 patients), subsequent surgical treatment was not required. Reliable functional results of treatment allowed creating the optimal algorithm for chemodenervation.

Discussion. Chemodenervation of extraocular muscles is an effective independent and additional method of complex treatment of oculomotor system pathology and expands opportunities in patients’ rehabilitation. To achieve maximum functional results, it is necessary to select patients correctly for this procedure, taking into account its appropriateness and advantages over alternative methods of treatment, selection of optimal dosages of Botox. 

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