Familial Marcus Gunn Phenomenon Without Ptosis in Resting Position in 2 Successive Generations: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Abstract

BACKGROUND Marcus Gunn Syndrome is a rare congenital disorder. The major symptoms are congenital ptosis and the synkinetic movement of the affected eyelid mandibular movements, cases with the absence of the ptosis symptom, even rarer, were also recorded. The aim of this article was to present 2 cases of Familial Marcus Gunn Jaw-Winking Synkinesis (MGJWS) without ptosis in resting position in two successive generations. CASE PRESENTATION Upon routine examination, the 41-year-old female patient was diagnosed with MGJWS, with the synkinetic movement of the upper left eyelid only observed during the downward, forward, and lateral mandibular movements. Ptosis wasn't observed in the resting position. The patient's 12-year-old daughter, who didn't have any significant medical history, was also diagnosed with MGJWS, with the same symptoms. No surgical or conservative intervention was performed on the patients and they are currently under regular follow-up. CONCLUSION The synkinetic movement being observed during masticatory movements presents a diagnostic opportunity for the dental clinician and surgeon, since it will be observed during a routine examination. Thus the authors think that it's important for dental clinicians and surgeons to be informed about the syndrome. To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first clinical case study of MGJWS without ptosis in resting position observed in two successive generations.