The Marin-Amat syndrome: an unusual facial synkinesia.

Three cases of facial nerve palsy with abnormal synkinetic movement manifesting with eye closure on jaw opening (Marin-Amat Syndrome) are described. The eye closure occurred only with wide jaw opening and it is felt that the disorder represents aberrant regeneration within the facial nerve with proprioceptive impulses associated with muscle stretch acting as the trigger. Though the movement is the exact opposite of what happens in the Marcus-Gunn phenomenon it is suggested that the term inverse Marcus-Gunn phenomenon be reserved for a congenital lesion with a different pathogenesis.