What is Möbius syndrome?
What is Moebius syndrome? Moebius syndrome is a rare birth defect that mainly affects the muscles that control facial expression and eye movement. It is caused by the absence or underdevelopment of the sixth and seventh cranial nerves, which control eye movements and facial expression.
With proper medical care, people with Moebius syndrome usually have a normal life expectancy.
Frequency. The exact incidence of Moebius syndrome is unknown. Researchers estimate that the condition affects 1 in 50,000 to 1 in 500,000 newborns.
Introduction Möbius syndrome (MS; VI and VII palsy) is a rare disease that in Brazil has a great frequency because of the use of misoprostol during pregnancy.
A diagnosis of Moebius syndrome is based upon the characteristic signs/symptoms, a detailed patient history, and a thorough clinical evaluation. There are no diagnostic tests that confirm a diagnosis of Moebius syndrome. Some specialized tests may be performed to rule out other causes of facial palsy.
There is no definitive treatment available for Moebius syndrome. All cases are different and it is important to surround yourself with a good medical team, which may include a mix of the following: Pediatricians.
It primarily affects the 6th and 7th cranial nerves, meaning that people with Moebius are unable to smile, frown, raise their eyebrows, grimace, move their eyes laterally or blink.
Moebius syndrome (MBS) is rare disease characterized by nonprogressive congenital uni- or bi-lateral facial (i. e. VII cranial nerve) and abducens (i. e. VI cranial nerve) palsy.
Although Moebius syndrome is sometimes associated with intellectual disabilities such as autism, and development delays, it mainly affects children of normal intelligence and cognitive development. The disorder is named after the German physician Paul Julius Möbius who described the condition in 1888.
Precise ultrasonography should be performed to detect any malformations possibly related to misoprostol exposure (e.g. limb defects), although it is almost impossible to detect cranial nerve palsies of Moebius syndrome before birth.
Is Moebius syndrome dominant or recessive?
Legum et al. (1981) reported 3 unrelated families with Moebius syndrome. One family was consistent with autosomal dominant inheritance, another family was consanguineous and consistent with autosomal recessive inheritance, and the third was a sporadic case with no family history.