Meige syndrome is one of the focal dystonic movement disorders identified as blepharospasm (double eyelid spasm) and oromandibular dystonia. Dystonia is defined as abnormal involuntary posturing or body movements due to sustained muscle contractions, usually happens due to neurological and medical reasons. (Jahngir et al, 2023)
The etiology and pathogenesis of this disorder of the extrapyramidal system are not well-understood. Neurologic and ophthalmic examinations often reveal no abnormalities, making diagnosis difficult and often resulting in misdiagnosis. A small proportion of patients have a family history of the disease, but to date no causative genes have been identified to date and no cure is available, although botulinum toxin A therapy effectively mitigates the symptoms and deep brain stimulation is gaining increasing attention as a viable alternative treatment option. (Hongying et al, 2021)
In the majority of the patients Meige's syndrome is primary or idiopathic, where the cause of spasm is not known, however secondary cases can occur following prolonged use of neuroleptics or secondary to underlying brain disorders. This syndrome has also been described in patients with essential tremor, Parkinson's disease and atypical Parkinsonism. (Pandey & Sharma, 2016)
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Ma H, Qu J, Ye L, Shu Y, Qu Q. Blepharospasm, Oromandibular Dystonia, and Meige Syndrome: Clinical and Genetic Update. Front Neurol. 2021 Mar 29;12:630221. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2021.630221. PMID: 33854473; PMCID: PMC8039296.
Pandey S, Sharma S. Meige's syndrome: History, epidemiology, clinical features, pathogenesis and treatment. J Neurol Sci. 2017 Jan 15;372:162-170. doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2016.11.053. Epub 2016 Nov 23. PMID: 28017205.