PURPOSE: To evaluate the costs and efficacy of type A botulinum toxin in the treatment of essential blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm. METHODS: Pacients with essential blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm had their files analyzed. All patients were treated with type A botulinum toxin (Dysport®) between April 2002 and May 2004 at the Oculoplastic Clinics of "Santa Casa de São Paulo". Twenty-seven patients presented essential blepharospasm and 23 presented hemifacial spasm. Information about the patient's degree of satisfaction after treatment, complaints and personal costs were recorded by a questionnaire, and information about the costs of Dysport® treatment were obtained at the administration department of "Santa Casa de São Paulo". Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: 1- The annual treatment costs were R$ 1,239.32 for essential blepharospasm and R$ 661.72 for hemifacial spasm. 2- The patient's annual costs were R$ 145.48 for essential blepharospasm and R$ 6.07 for hemifacial spasm. 3- The hospital's annual costs for the treatment were R$ 1,095.84 for essential blepharospasm and R$ 535.65 for hemifacial spasm. 4- Dysport® treatment is successful in both essential blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm. CONCLUSIONS:. The costs of essential blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm treatment with Dysport® are high, mainly because of the toxin price. On economic analysis of health, we can conclude that this procedure has an excellent cost-benefit ratio.
Blepharospasm; Dystonia; Hemifacial spasm; Botulinum toxin type A; Botulinum toxin type A; Costs and cost analysis; Muscle spasticity
