Treatment of Stapedial Myoclonus as a Migraine-Related Phenomenon

Objective: To describe a case series of patients with stapedial myoclonus (SM) whose conditions improved after prophylactic migraine treatment.

Patients: We present seven cases of SM reported from a tertiary care neurotology clinic. All seven patients reported SM triggers similar to those of migraine headaches and suffered from concomitant headaches and/or vertigo, and were thus treated with a standard migraine protocol used at this neurotology clinic.

Intervention: Prophylactic migraine treatment.

Main outcome measures: Reduction or resolution of SM.

Results: In this series, seven patients with SM were included. Six of seven subjects were male (86%), with a mean age at presentation of 44 years. Four patients noted significant improvement in their symptoms, with a reduced frequency, duration, and intensity of their symptoms with the migraine regimen. Three patients experienced complete resolution of SM with their migraine treatment.

Conclusion: We report that treatment with prophylactic migraine treatment can provide long-term relief for patients with SM, which may suggest an etiological association between migraine and SM as well as a possible treatment for SM.