Objective: To present the clinical profile of 16 patients with simple writer’s cramp who were treated with botulinum toxin injections.

Background: Writer’s cramp is the most common form of focal, task-specific dystonia of the hand and can cause severe disability in writing. Different treatment approaches are used, but botulinum toxin injection seems to be the most effective one.

Methods: Sixteen patients diagnosed and followed up in movement disorders unit of a tertiary care university hospital in year 2015 as simple writer’s cramp were included to this study. Patients treated with botulinum toxin and injections were performed under electromyography guidance.

Results: Eleven of 16 patients were male and 5 were female. The average ages were 47.9 (36-64 years) and 31.6 (16-64 years), respectively. The mean duration of disability in writing were 3.7 years (1-8 years) in males and 2.1 years (1-3 years). Thirteen patients were flexor type and 3 patients were mixed type. None of them was extensor type. In 11 of them mirror dystonia was seen. Onabotulinum toxin A injections were performed in all patients under electromyography guidance with a mean dose of 40.6 units. Injected muscles were flexor digitorum superficialis, flexor pollicis longus, flexor carpi ulnaris, extensor carpi ulnaris, extensor carpi radialis,extensor indicis and pronator quadratus. Beneficial effects of injections were seen in 7-20 days.

Conclusions: Although writer’s cramp is a severe disabling disorder, it can be treated successfully with botulinum toxin injections. Mirror dystonia is seen in most patients and helps to localize the affected muscles. But electromyography guidance should be used to increase the efficacy of botulinum toxin treatment.

« Back to 2016 International Congress

MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/clinical-profile-of-patients-with-writers-cramp/