Even if the eyeballs and visual pathway are intact, visual function is impaired when the eyelids cannot easily open. We call this condition a syndrome of persistent difficulty in opening the eyes.<br>This term may be broadly interpreted by patients', but here, we have demonstrated 8 severe cases that motivated us to identify this as a syndrome and clarify its clinical characteristics. The patients commonly reported having irritable eyes in response to even low levels of light, which subsequently resulted in severe eye pain and/or photophobia. The patients almost always kept their eyes closed throughout daily life, and it was necessary for them to cover both eyes with an eye-mask or eye protectors even in a dark room. Most patients were characterized as having sensory disorders rather than movement disorders. Some of them had body pain, suggestive of fibromyalgia syndrome, temporomandibular syndrome, or glossodynia, as well as depression. The onset of symptoms was presumed to have various triggers, including long-term use of or inadequate withdrawal from psychotropic drugs, head-neck trauma, and encephalopathy.<br>Thus, their clinical characteristics partially mimic those of blepharospasm, but that condition is not identical to this syndrome.<br>There may be many other pathological conditions other than those identified in the present 8 cases and various causes that can render a patient's presumed healthy eyeballs useless.<br>Blepharospasm is neurologically understood as a focal dystonia of the eyelids. However, it is important to understand that visual function is significantly impaired among patients with the disease.<br>Although the patients had a disability that severely affected their daily life, the Japanese physically disabled persons welfare act does not cover these patients because the act judges visual impairment only by visual acuity and the visual field. We discuss these legal aspects from a medical point of view.