The goal of this study is to determine a link between benign essential blepharospasm and Sjogren's syndrome by analyzing the presence of extractable nuclear antigens in this population.
Seventy-two patients with benign essential blepharospasm (BEB) were included in this study. We eliminated patients with hemifacial spasm or blepharospasm secondary to corneal pathology. We collected the values of the Schirmer I test and the results of the anti-SSA and anti-SSB antibodies.
Our study included 72 patients (144 eyes) whose 62 women (86.1%). Mean age was 74.3 years±10.73. Average Schirmer I test was 3.14mm±4.00mm. Five women (8% of this female population) had positive anti-SSA and SSB antibodies. Their mean age was 65.66 years±13.24 whereas the negative antibody patients had an average age of 75.42±9.27. There was no significant difference between their Schimer I test and the Schirmer I of negative antibody population.
This study illustrates the possible association between the presence of Sjögren's syndrome and the occurrence of a BEB justifying the search for anti-SSA and anti SSB in blepharospasm patients.