Yokoyama Koji, Mamada Mitsukazu
Department of Pediatrics, Japanese Red Cross Wakayama Medical Center, Wakayama, JPN.
Cureus. 2025 Aug 6;17(8):e89518. doi: 10.7759/cureus.89518. eCollection 2025 Aug.
Pharyngeal myoclonus is a rare movement disorder characterized by rhythmic pharyngeal contractions, typically reported in adults with neurological lesions and rarely in children. We report a seven-year-old girl who experienced involuntary clicking sounds localized to the right ear. Nasopharyngoscopy revealed pharyngeal myoclonus without structural abnormalities, and brain and laryngeal MRI were unremarkable. No intervention was performed, and symptoms resolved spontaneously over 12 months, coinciding with increased familial support in response to suspected psychosocial stress. This case highlights the benign, self-limiting nature of pediatric pharyngeal myoclonus and suggests that conservative management may be appropriate, particularly when environmental or psychological factors are the suspected contributors.
咽肌阵挛是一种罕见的运动障碍，其特征为咽部有节律的收缩，多见于有神经病变的成人，儿童罕见。我们报告一名七岁女孩，她右耳出现非自主性咔哒声。鼻咽喉镜检查显示为咽肌阵挛，无结构异常，脑部和喉部磁共振成像未见明显异常。未进行干预，症状在12个月内自行缓解，这与因疑似心理社会压力而增加的家庭支持相吻合。该病例凸显了小儿咽肌阵挛的良性、自限性本质，并表明保守治疗可能是合适的，尤其是当怀疑环境或心理因素是促成因素时。
