THE DIAGNOSIS OF ESSENTIAL PALATAL TREMOR

We report a patient with a 30-year history of progressive, involuntary movements of the left ear and clicking sounds in both ears for 2 I ye ars. The patient had rhythmic contractions of the tensor veli palatini muscle and could relieve palatal movements and ear clicks, but not ea r movements, by pressing a pillow against the left ear or by finger pr essure on the tragus or the retroauricular region. We discuss the sign ificance of these sensory tricks and the nosology of the long-standing ear movements within a classification of essential and symptomatic pa latal tremor. Current diagnostic criteria for both types of palatal tr emor may not cover some atypical cases such as ours.