A Case of Tardive Blepharospasm

J Korean Neurol Assoc > Volume 23(4); 2005 > Article

Journal of the Korean Neurological Association 2005;23(4): 565-567.

지연성 안검경련 1예

우성룡, 정석영 임의성 정슬기 서만욱

전북대학교 의과대학 신경과학교실

A Case of Tardive Blepharospasm

Seong-Ryong Woo

Department of Neurology, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea

Abstract

Blepharospasm is a focal dystonia that consists of repetitive involuntary spasmodic contractions of the orbicularis oculi muscle. A 27-year-old man was admitted with ptosis and involuntary blinking in both eyes. He was diagnosed as having schizophrenia when he was 15 years old and medicated with chlorpromazine for 12 years. After excluding all the possible etiopathological causes of the blepharospam, the offending drug was discontinued and changed to an atypical antipsychotic, clozapine. Clozapine was increased up to 75 mg in the 7th day of admission, and the symptoms were slowly ameliorated. KeyWords:Blepharospasm, Chlorpromazine, Atypical antipsychotics