Treatment of the Photo-Oculodynia Syndrome with Botulinum Toxin A

Abstract

Photo-oculodynia syndrome (POS) is an uncommon syndrome of idiopathic chronic eye pain and photosensitivity without evident ongoing tissue damage or inflammation. The pain mechanism of POS, which is usually triggered by ocular trauma, may be sympathetically mediated. Some POS patients respond to prophylactic migraine medications or sympathetic ganglion blocks, but often these treatments are ineffective. Botulinum toxin (BT) is a powerful therapeutic tool for neurologic and ophthalmic disorders such as strabismus, blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm, movement disorders, and migraine. We describe two patients who did not respond to conventional therapies. Both had partial relief of their symptoms with BT type A.

KEYWORDS:

• Photo-oculodynia syndrome
• botulinum toxin type A
• photosensitivity
• ocular pain
• ocular trauma