Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42093060›Full record

ArticleJournal of medical case reports2026

Excellent response to benzocaine spray in an 8-year-old African female with idiopathic palato-pharyngo-laryngeal myoclonus: a case report.

Suleiman Khaddour, Ahed Assaf, William Borghol, Saja Karaja, Mousa Barboura, Mohammed Othman, Rain Alkhalil, Amer Khalaf Alali, Ahmad Zahi AlChawwaf

Abstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of medical case reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

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0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Suleiman KhaddourFaculty of Medicine, Latakia University, Latakia, Syria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-9597-2868
Ahed AssafFaculty of Medicine, Hama University, Hama, Syria. ahd.assaf.2019@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0000-1641-7669
William BorgholFaculty of Medicine, Hama University, Hama, Syria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-3228-3406
Saja KarajaFaculty of Medicine, Hama University, Hama, Syria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-9640-7406
Mousa BarbouraFaculty of Medicine, Hama University, Hama, Syria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0008-1766-9049
Mohammed OthmanFaculty of Medicine, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0008-0990-5750
Rain AlkhalilFaculty of Medicine, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-3045-015X
Amer Khalaf AlaliAl-Moasat Hospital, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria.
Ahmad Zahi AlChawwafAl-Wataniya Private University, Hama, Syria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-7551-9714

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPalato-pharyngo-laryngeal myoclonus (PPLM) is a rare condition characterized by involuntary rhythmic movements of the muscles of the palate, larynx, and pharynx. It may be idiopathic or associated with other neurological deficits such as cerebrovascular accidents (CVA). In this article, we present a unique case of idiopathic PPLM which unexpectedly showed an excellent complete response to benzocaine, which is very exceptional. CASE PRESENTATION: A clinical examination of an 8-year-old African (Somalian) female suggested the diagnosis of PPLM. An ultrasound imaging (US) as well as laryngoscopy with 15% benzocaine spray showed no associated abnormalities but demonstrated myoclonic spasms. The myoclonic spasms and symptoms unexpectedly subsided after the application of benzocaine. The myoclonus recurred after 5 hours and subsequently subsided following the administration of benzocaine. A further recurrence occurred after 13 hours; however, this latest episode demonstrated reduced frequency and severity after each application, ultimately resolving completely with no recurrence observed within 3 days of admission following each administration of benzocaine (Please refer to Graphical Abstract).

conclusionAll cases of palatal myoclonus (PM) or PPLM should be subjected to a thorough neurological evaluation to exclude any lesional etiologies associated with PPLM. While the prognosis for idiopathic PPLM is generally benign, the notable complete response of our patient to benzocaine spray merits further discussion. Additionally, further research is essential to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and to develop effective management strategies.

Indexed as

Anesthetics, LocalBenzocaineMyoclonusChildFemaleHumansLaryngoscopyTreatment OutcomeAnesthetics, LocalBenzocaineBenzocaineCase reportIdiopathicMyoclonusPalatal myoclonusPalatal tremorPalato-pharyngo-laryngeal myoclonus

Identifiers

PMID42093060
PMCPMC13312633

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.