Möbius syndrome (also spelled Moebius) is a very rare congenital neurological disease that is characterized by facial paralysis along with also the inability to move the eyes from side to side. Many people with Möbius syndrome are born with absolute facial paralysis and can’t shut their eyes or shape facial expressions. Limb and chest wall abnormalities occasionally happen with the syndrome. Individuals with Möbius syndrome have normal intelligence, but their lack of facial expression is occasionally wrongly regarded as attributed to dullness or unfriendliness. It’s called for Paul Julius Möbius, a neurologist who first described the syndrome in 1888.
Signs and symptoms möbius syndrome
Individuals with Möbius syndrome are born with facial paralysis and the inability to move their eyes laterally. Many times, the top lip is retracted as a result of muscle shrinkage. Sometimes, the cranial nerves V and VIII are changed. If cranial nerve VIII is affected, the individual undergoes hearing loss.
Other symptoms which sometimes occur with Möbius syndrome are:
- Limb abnormalities—clubbed feet, missing fingers or toes
- Chest-wall abnormalities (Poland Syndrome)
- Crossed eyes (strabismus)
- Difficulty in breathing and/or in swallowing
- Corneal erosion resulting from difficulty in blinking
Kids with Möbius syndrome might have delayed speech due to paralysis of muscles which move the lips, soft palate, and tongue origin. But with language therapy, many people with Möbius syndrome may create clear speech. Möbius syndrome was associated with greater incidence of these indications of autism. But some kids with Möbius syndrome have been wrongly branded as intellectually disabled or autistic due to their expressionless faces, strabismus, and regular drooling.
Treatment of möbius syndrome
There is no single course of medical treatment or cure for it. Treatment is supportive and according to symptoms. Should they have difficulty breastfeeding, babies may need feeding tubes or distinctive bottles to keep adequate nutrition. Physical, occupational, and speech therapy may enhance motor coordination and skills and may result in better control of talking and eating skills. Frequently, regular lubrication with eye drops is enough to fight dry eye which results from diminished blinking. Surgery can fix crossed eyes, shield the cornea through tarsorraphy, and enhance jaw and limb deformities. Occasionally referred to as grin surgery from the press, muscle moves grafted in the thigh into the corners of the mouth could be conducted to deliver the capability to smile. Though “grin surgery” can offer the capacity to grin, the process is complicated and can take half an hour to get each side of their facearea. Additionally, the operation can’t be regarded as a “treatment” for it, since it doesn’t enhance the capacity to create additional facial expressions.
