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A rare case of tongue biting during sleep in childhood

Inês Cascais1, Joanna Ashworth1, Lúcia Ribeiro2

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Centro Materno-Infantil do Norte, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Santo António (CMIN-CHUdSA), Porto, Portugal.

Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine : JCSM : Official Publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
|December 28, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Recurrent tongue biting during sleep in children is rare but can disrupt sleep. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges and potential treatments for this condition.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Neurology
  • Clinical Case Reports

Background:

  • Bleeding episodes of tongue biting during sleep are rare in children.
  • These episodes can significantly impair sleep quality for both the child and family.

Observation:

  • A 2-year-old boy experienced recurrent tongue biting since 12 months of age.
  • This resulted in bleeding lacerations, frequent awakenings, and daytime impairment.

Findings:

  • Epilepsy is a primary suspicion, but sleep-related movement disorders like bruxism and myoclonus require differential diagnosis.
  • Clinical history, electroencephalogram (EEG), and video-polysomnography (VPSG) are crucial for diagnosis.

Implications:

  • Accurate diagnosis is essential to differentiate between epilepsy and movement disorders.
  • Clonazepam may be considered for severe, frequent tongue biting causing significant injury and sleep disruption.

Keywords:
facio-mandibular myoclonusgeniospasmpediatricsleeptongue biting

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