Functional blinking in childhood.

Publication/Presentation Date

6-1-1989

Abstract

At the Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Wills Eye Hospital, 17 children, 18 months to 10 years of age, were seen with a chief complaint of intermittent excessive blinking. Eight (47%) of the patients had been referred for ophthalmologic examination by their pediatrician for evaluation of this symptom. All were in excellent health with no associated symptoms or signs of systemic or ocular disease. None of the children were taking topical ocular or systemic medications. The parents of seven (41%) of these children were able to identify a temporally related stressful event that coincided with the onset of blinking. Durations of the symptom prior to examination ranged from 1 week to 4 months. Spontaneous resolution occurred from one day to 5 months after the first ophthalmologic examination. Recurrence occurred in only one child, but resolution was still completed within 5 months. Excessive eye blinking unassociated with other systemic or ocular findings appears to be a medically benign, self-limited functional disorder.

Volume

83

Issue

6

First Page

967

Last Page

970

ISSN

0031-4005

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

PubMedID

2726353

Department(s)

Department of Medicine

Document Type

Article

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