Senile lower lid entropion successfully treated with botulinum toxin A.

BACKGROUND: Spasmodic senile entropion (SE) is characterized by the inward turning of the eyelid. SE typically occurs spontaneously, but sometimes after ocular surgery. As of today, it is still lacking a gold standard technique. AIMS: To report the results of 11 cases of involutional entropion of the lower lid successfully treated with an injection of botulinum toxin, to evaluate the clinical results, and to document the duration of relief. METHODS: Eleven patients with senile entropion were treated with abobotulinum toxin A. The orbicularis oculi muscle was injected with 35 Su units of botulinum toxin. The procedures required an average of 5 min to complete. The follow-up period was 24 months. RESULTS: The average age of the patients was 68.09 years (ranging between 62 and 75). About 7 days after the treatment, the entropion had resolved and there was only one recurrence at the 3-month visit. The recurrence rate was 27% after 6 months, and 27% after 9 months. Of note, the patients with recurrence repeated the injection and showed an increasingly long wellness period. CONCLUSIONS: Injection of botulinum toxin can treat entropion and resulted in a significantly high success rate.

Multipoint and multilevel injection technique of botulinum toxin A in facial aesthetics.

Botulinum toxin represents one of the most frequently requested cosmetic procedures. We treated 223 patients with facial wrinkles using a new technique of injection of botulinum toxin A (BTA) called multipoint and multilevel injection technique (MMIT). The aim of MMIT was to relax the muscle and not paralyze it. Patient satisfaction was evaluated by Facial Line Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (FTSQ). Treatment with botulinum toxin determined a good response in all patients. Facial rhytids were completely resolved in case of young skin and well reduced in case of aged skin, leaving a natural aspect both in static and dynamic wrinkles. Patient mean overall satisfaction evaluated with FTSQ was 6.4 ± 1.1. In our experience, the use of botulin toxin by MMIT consents a better calibration of action with a soft and natural result. This can be achieved by distributing the BTA dose through various injection points for each area ("multipoint injections"). Furthermore, injections can be performed at different levels ("multilevel injections"). The level of injections regulates the potency of effect on the muscle: if the level is deep (intramuscular), the effect will be strong while if it is medium or superficial (subcutaneous and intradermal), the effect will be soft. This consents a fine calibration of action on muscle activity with a personal aesthetic result.

A 36-week retrospective open trial comparing the efficacy of biological therapies in nail psoriasis.

BACKGROUND: Nail psoriasis occurs in about 50% of psoriatic patients and can be psychologically devastating since it appears on visible areas. Up to now there is no evidence about what biological drugs is the most effective on nail psoriasis. OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study was to determine if one of the four biological drugs approved in our country (infliximab, adalimumab, etanercept, ustekinumab) is more effective than the others for nail psoriasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A single-center, retrospective study was conducted to assess the efficacy of biological therapies in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis with nail involvement. NAPSI was evaluated in all psoriatic patients. Kruskal-Wallis and Fisher's exact tests were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: A global statistically significant improvement in mean NAPSI from baseline to 12, 24 and 36 weeks was observed in all patients. At 12 weeks 27.78% of the patients reach NAPSI 75, at 24 weeks 81.48% and at 36 weeks 88.89%. The improvement in nail psoriasis is not significantly different between groups. An improvement in the mean Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score was also achieved CONCLUSIONS: Biological therapies have shown to ameliorate psoriatic nail lesions. We did not find any statistically significant differences between the four biological drugs investigated.