The quantification, natural course, and surgical results in 57 eyes with Marcus Gunn (jaw-winking) syndrome

Abstract

Subjective findings and objective surgical results in 55 individuals with the Marcus Gunn (jaw-winking syndrome indicated that bilateral fascial suspension is the best procedure in most cases. Levator muscle resection treats only the blepharoptosis (often undercorrecting it), may exacerbate the jaw-winking, and is associated with significant eyelid lag in many cases. In the 17 patients who had not undergone surgery, there was no significant spontaneous reduction in the degree of jaw-winking. Additionally, the patient's belief that the jaw-winking had improved with time was often inaccurate, indicating that objective measurements are necessary before conclusions can be drawn about the natural course of this phenomenon. We also found that high incidences of strabismus (36%) and amblyopia (34%) are associated with this syndrome.