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Duane syndrome with prominent oculo-auricular phenomenon
Aubrey L Gilbert1, David G Hunter1
1Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School.
Summary
Duane syndrome, a congenital disorder affecting eye muscles, can present with unusual sensory symptoms like a tugging sensation. This case highlights an oculo-auricular phenomenon in Duane syndrome, which partially improved after strabismus surgery.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
Background:
- Duane syndrome is a congenital cranial dysinnervation disorder characterized by abnormal innervation of the extraocular muscles, primarily the lateral and medial rectus muscles.
- It is often associated with other neurological or craniofacial anomalies, indicating a broader spectrum of dysinnervation.
Observation:
- This report details a patient with right esotropic Duane syndrome who experienced a persistent retroauricular tugging sensation during right gaze.
- The patient also exhibited a prominent ipsilateral oculo-auricular phenomenon, suggesting an unusual manifestation of aberrant innervation.
Findings:
- The oculo-auricular phenomenon in this Duane syndrome case may represent either an enhanced existing neural pathway or a rare form of dysinnervation.
- Strabismus surgery successfully corrected the eye alignment and partially alleviated the retroauricular tugging sensation.
Implications:
- This case expands the understanding of sensory-motor integration in Duane syndrome and the spectrum of associated phenomena.
- It suggests that surgical correction of strabismus may offer symptomatic relief for associated sensory disturbances, even if not fully resolving them.
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