Meige syndrome

Overview

Meige's syndrome is a type of dystonia. It is also known as oral facial dystonia. It is actually a combination of two forms of dystonia, blepharospasm and oromandibular dystonia (OMD).

Symptoms

* o difficulty opening the mouth (trismus) o clenching or grinding of the teeth (bruxism) o spasms of jaw opening o sideways deviation or protrusion of the jaw o lip tightening and pursing o drawing back (retraction) of the corners of the mouth o deviation or protrusion of the tongue. o jaw pain o difficulties eating and drinking o difficulties speaking (dysarthria).

Diagnosis

Meige's is commonly misdiagnosed and most doctors will have not seen this condition before. Usually a neurologist who specializes in movement disorders can detect Meige's. There is no way to detect Meige's by blood test or MRI or CT scans. OMD by itself, maybe misdiagnosed as TMJ.

Treatment

There is no cure for Meige's Syndrome, nor can it be prevented, except in cases where it is caused by medication. Although palliative treatments are available, such as Botox injections. In some instances, acupuncutre has been known to help. Even though it is a form of alternative medicine, there have been some reports of acupuncture minimizing the effects of Meige's