Marcus Gunn Jaw-Winking Syndrome: A Case Report

Abstract

Marcus Gunn jaw wink phenomenon or Trigeminal oculomotor synkinesis, is a congenital disorder in which the upper lid moves synkinetically in response to jaw movement during chewing. The term synkinesis describes the simultaneous movement or a coordinated sequence of movements of muscles, which are supplied by different nerves or by separate peripheral branches of the same nerve. Although it rarely manifests bilaterally, it is typically unilateral. In 1883, Dr Robert Marcus Gunn, a Scottish Ophthalmologist described a 15-year-old girl with a peculiar type of congenital ptosis that included an associated winking motion of the affected eyelid on the movement of the jaw. It is known to affect both men and women equally. This phenomenon has been reported to be a similar phenomenon affecting 2-13% of all cases of congenital ptosis. It can be congenital or acquired, for example through trauma. The Congenital Marcus Gunn jaw wink phenomenon is thought to arise from the connection between the branch of the trigeminal nerve (responsible for chewing) supplying the middle or lateral pterygoid muscle and the branch of the oculomotor nerve supplying the upper superior levator ocular defect. Here we present a case report of Marcus Gunn's Jaw-Winking Synkinesis in congenital ptosis.