Moebius syndrome and narcolepsy: A case dissertation.
Moebius syndrome (MS) is a congenital syndrome characterized by unilateral or bilateral aplasia of the VI and VII cranial nerves, with consequent convergent strabismus and bilateral peripheral facial paralysis. This syndrome might be associated with diurnal excessive sleepiness and muscular hypotony, mimetizing in this manner, narcolepsy. The diagnostic criteria for narcolepsy depend on the presence of REM sleep during the day. As with patients with MS we do not have ocular movements due to the VI nerve paralysis, the absence of horizontal ocular movements might make it difficult to confirm narcolepsy in these patients. The common clinical characteristics of these patients are due to a possible impairment of the same structures that are affected in the central nervous system. However, the mechanism by which it occurs remains to be fully understood. Further electrophysiological researches are necessary to better clarify the association of these two diseases. The objective of this dissertation is to describe and discuss a case of Moebius syndrome with diurnal excessive sleepiness as a differential diagnosis for narcolepsy.
Outpatient Facility of Diurnal Excessive Sleepiness, Department of Psychobiology, Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil.
Lídia
L
Sabaneeff
Outpatient Facility of Diurnal Excessive Sleepiness, Department of Psychobiology, Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil.
Henrique
H
Mendes Motta
Outpatient Facility of Diurnal Excessive Sleepiness, Department of Psychobiology, Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil.
Juliana
J
Castro
Outpatient Facility of Diurnal Excessive Sleepiness, Department of Psychobiology, Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil.
Sergio
S
Tufik
Outpatient Facility of Diurnal Excessive Sleepiness, Department of Psychobiology, Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil ; Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil.
Fernando Morgadinho
FM
Santos Coelho
Diurnal excessive sleepiness; Moebius syndrome; Narcolepsy