Essential Palatal Myoclonus and Clicking Tinnitus in a Nine-Year-Old Boy-A Case Report

The work describes a case of palatal myoclonus with distressing tinnitus in a 9-year-old boy and its successful treatment with injections of botulinum toxin. This case report discusses common questions about myoclonic-induced clicking tinnitus and provides answers. Laryngoscope, 134:397-399, 2024.

Laryngeal, Pharyngeal and Respiratory Involvement in Palatal Tremor

OBJECTIVE

To present cases of atypical palatal tremor (PT) and showcase the variable phenomenology of this condition.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective case series.

RESULTS

PT, or palatal myoclonus, is a movement disorder characterized by brief, involuntary rhythmic muscular contractions of the soft palate. Variants of PT have been described and include synchronous tremors in other branchial arch derivatives including the larynx, pharynx, neck, face, jaw, ocular and also respiratory and trunk muscles. We present 3 cases, including clinical videos, of atypical PT with extra-palatal manifestations, in addition to a brief discussion of the pathophysiology and management of this condition.

CONCLUSION

Variations of PT are of interest to the practicing otolaryngologist as the clinical spectrum of this condition is wide and can present with laryngeal, pharyngeal, respiratory and other head and neck manifestations.

A pediatric case report]

Essential palatal myoclonus is a rare neurological disorder characterized by involuntary movements of the soft palate musculature causing objective-clicking tinnitus. The palatal myoclonus is classified in two forms, secondary and essential palatal myoclonus. Primary (essential) palatal myoclonus is the most common type in childhood. Normal computed tomography and magnetic resonance guide the diagnosis. Spontaneous resolution usually occurs in the essential type of palatal myoclonus. In this report, we present an 8-year-old child making rhythmic, rapid clicking noises from her throat with spontaneous resolution.

Essential Palatal Tremor Following an Upper Respiratory Tract Infection: A Case Report

Bilateral objective tinnitus is a rare accompanying manifestation of an underlying palatal tremor (PT). PT can either be secondary to a lesion in the triangle of Guillain and Mollaret, or it can present without a causal organic lesion. In this report, we present an unusual case of a young female with objective tinnitus revealing a PT.

Isolated Ear Clicks with Partial Voluntary Control

Background: Ear click is a rare type of objective tinnitus, classically described with associated palatal tremor/myoclonus (PT). Case report: A 15-year-old boy reported a constant bilateral ear clicking for 4 years, that could be stopped at will for a few seconds. Clinically, the ear clicks were audible without visible eardrum or palatal movement, and could be entrained by the examiner. Brain MRI was normal. Discussion: We propose to classify this as isolated ear clicks with partial voluntary control, putting it into context with other subcategories of “essential” or “isolated” PT.

Electrophysiological Evidence for Functional (Psychogenic) Essential Palatal Tremor

Background:

There is little published work describing the electrophysiological characteristics of essential palatal tremor, a condition now believed by many to be a functional (psychogenic) movement disorder.

Case Report:

Here we combine electroencephalography and electromyography with time-locked video recordings to document two cases of essential palatal tremor in which a definitive diagnosis is achieved using these electrophysiological tools.

Discussion:

We believe that sharing how these objective tools can be used to diagnose a functional movement disorder, as well as providing more published evidence to support the functional origin of essential palatal myoclonus, will help to diagnose this condition in the future.

Palatal myoclonus secondary to neurosarcoidosis

Palatal myoclonus can be primary or secondary. In primary palatal myoclonus, no obvious structural brain lesions can be found within the triangle of Guillain and Mollaret. Common causes of secondary myoclonus include stroke, demyelination, infections, trauma, and neurodegeneration.

Clinical presentation and management of proatlas segmentation defect presenting with palatal myoclonus: case report

Clinical presentation of craniovertebral junction disorders may range from acute catastrophic neurological deficits to insidious signs and symptoms that may mask the underlying etiology. Prompt recognition and treatment is essential to avert long-term neurological morbidity. Proatlas segmentation disorders are a rare group of developmental disorders involving the craniocervical junction. Abnormal bony segmentation leads to malformed bony structures that can in turn lead to neurological deficits through bony compression of the cervicomedullary junction. This report details a proatlas segmentation defect presenting as palatal myoclonus, a rare movement disorder. The clinical presentation, surgical management, and neuroanatomical basis for the disorder is presented. This report highlights the myriad clinical presentations of craniovertebral disorders and emphasizes a rare but treatable etiology for palatal myoclonus.

PET-positive extralimbic presentation of anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody-associated encephalitis

Anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) antibody-associated autoimmune encephalitis has been reported mostly as limbic encephalitis. Only few cases with extralimbic involvement are reported with limited investigation. Here, we report an extensive investigation with MRI, PET, and pathological examination. A 66-year-old Japanese female with a history of hypothyroidism, colon cancer, pheochromocytoma, and thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis presented with generalised tonic-clonic seizures. MRI showed multiple hyperintense lesions and PET showed hypermetabolic lesions in the brain. Biopsy showed non-specific gliosis, microglial proliferation, and perivascular lymphohistiocytic infiltrates. Various neuronal antibodies were negative, except for anti-GAD antibody. Anti-GAD antibody-associated encephalitis is an increasingly recognised CNS disease. Pathophysiology of this encephalitis is unclear. While PET showed hypermetabolic lesions, the biopsy showed non-specific changes. The treatments may include immunosuppressants, IVIg, and plasma exchange. One should consider to measure this antibody, in addition to others, when autoimmune encephalitis is suspected [Published with video sequences] .

Palatal-Myoclonus as a Presentation of Hashimoto Encephalopathy: an interesting case report

OBJECTIVE

Hashimoto encephalopathy (HE) is known as a steroid- responsive encephalopathy associated with autoimmune thyroiditis or nonvascular inflammation-related autoimmune meningoencephalitis. The average age of onset of HE is approximately 50 years; and it is more common in women. The onset of HE may be acute or subacute. The course of most HE cases is relapsing and remitting, which is similar to that of vasculitis and stroke.

METHODS

In this article, we present a previously healthy 32 years old;veterinarian male with palatal myoclonus, as a rare presentation of this disorder, and review the neurologic aspects of hashimoto encephalitis.

RESULTS

The clinical presentation of HE is characterized by progressive cognitive decline tremor, transient aphasia, seizures, abnormal gait, sleep disorder and stroke-like episodes. Myoclonus, either generalized or multifocal, and tremor, often of the bilateral upper extremities, is the most frequently observed involuntary movements in HE.

CONCLUSION

The rapidly progressive cognitive dysfunction and encephalopathies observed.