Open Access Peer Reviewed ISSN: 2378-8933

Neurological Research and Therapy

International open-access publishing for high-quality research, reviews, case studies, and scholarly communication.

Submit Manuscript
Original Research Vol. 2, Issue 1 (2015)

Differentiation between Complex Tic and Eyelid Myoclonia with Absences: Pediatric Case Report and Brief Review of the Literature

Diana M Gerardi1, Caroline De Oleo Brozyna2, S Parrish Winesett3, 4, Maria Gieron Korthals1, 3 and Tanya Murphy1, 2*
Corresponding Author: Tanya Murphy
Received: Jan 05, 2015
Accepted: Feb 28, 2015
Published: Mar 04, 2015
Views: 10
DOI: 10.14437

Abstract

Eyelid Myoclonia with Absences (EMA) can often be clinically mistaken for a tic disorder. This case report describes a 4-year-old female who presented with eye fluttering and blinking accompanied by a hand gesture described as a “brow wipe” that was exacerbated by sunlight, warm temperatures, anxiety, and excitement. She was diagnosed with a transient tic disorder, and aripiprazole and clonazepam treatment partially decreased symptom intensity. She was stable for months, after which symptoms worsened with constant tics while in the sun and seeking light stimuli to induce an episode. Video electroencephalogram confirmed self-induced photosensitive seizures with generalized epileptiform discharges consistent with generalized seizures. The EMA diagnosis was confirmed by these characteristic eye closure-related discharges, and the patient was successfully treated with valproate. We also present a brief review of the literature that underscores the clinical similarities between EMA and tics, as well as the importance of timely implementation of appropriate treatment in EMA.

 

Download PDF
Tanya Murphy (2015), Differentiation between Complex Tic and Eyelid Myoclonia with Absences: Pediatric Case Report and Brief Review of the Literature. Neurol Res Ther Open Access 2:111
Copyright: Copyright: © 2015 NRTOA. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, Version 3.0, which permits
unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Indexed In
Google Scholar
DOAJ
PubMed
Scopus