Meige's syndrome

Also referred to as idiopathic orofacial dyskinesia, blepharospasm - oromandibular dystonia or Brueghel syndrome Meige syndrome is a rare neurological disorder. It was named after the Frenchman Henry Meige (1866-1940), who described the disease in 1910 in detail. The designation as Brueghel 's syndrome refers to the painting The yawn that is the Flemish painter Pieter Brueghel the Elder attributed.

Be differentiated this is the nun - Milroy - Meige syndrome.

Symptoms

The counted to the dystonia disease manifests itself in symmetrical spasmodic, uncontrollable contractions of the face, jaw and throat muscles, which can lead to involuntary movements such as jaw opening, emphasis stretching the tongue retraction of the lips and a blepharospasm, so spasmodic eye closure. This affects mostly women in the seventh decade of life.

Therapy

A therapy can be attempted with benzodiazepines, baclofen, anticholinergics or botulinum toxin. The blepharospasm represents one of the most common indications for the use of botulinum toxin, a good improvement can be achieved in more than 90 % of the treated cases.

Source

• K. Poeck, W. Hacke: Neurology. 1998, Springer- Verlag Berlin, ISBN 3-540-63028-7.
• Page of the University of Jena

• Disease in neurology