PALATAL MYOCLONUS-A CASE STUDY

Palatal myoclonus is a repetitive, involuntary jerking movement of the pterygopalatine arch and soft palate, frequently involving the diaphragm and vocal muscles. Palatal tremor is classified into essential palatal myoclonus (EPM) and symptomatic palatal myoclonus (SPM). In EPM, the only clinical signs are palatal tremor and ear clicks, whereas, in SPM, tremor may encompass facial, ocular, and extremities muscles. In our study, a healthy 26 years old man presented a persistent auditory clicking on the temporomandibular joint bilaterally 18 months ago. The clicking was not related to mandibular movement. The final clinical examination showed that the patient suffered from palatal myoclonus with EPM. EPM is a rare condition characterized by clicking noises and muscle contraction at the back of the throat. Due to the conditions rarity, there have yet to be any randomized controlled trials of treatment options for EPM. However, our patient showed positive results after one week of treatment using Carbendazim 200mg.