[A rare cause of oral pain: The pterygoid hamulus syndrome]

Abstract

Introduction: Pterygoid hamulus syndrome (PHS) is a rare cause of orofacial and oropharyngeal pain. PHS can be associated with a hamulus hypertrophy or with a bursitis of the palatosalpingeus but it has not always an anatomic cause.

Observation: A 36-year-old woman was seen for a constant posterior palatal pain spreading towards oropharynx, increasing during swallowing and lasting for more than 6 months. Physical examination showed an erythema of the soft palate, medially to the hamulus. Hamulus palpation was painful and revealed hamulus hypertrophia on both sides. A bilateral PHS was evocated.

Discussion: This observation is typical of a PHS. We propose a review of the literature of this little-known syndrome. Treatment is initially conservative (corticosteroids) but surgery can be proposed in case of morphological anomalies of the hamulus.

Keywords: Douleur orofaciale; Hamulus ptérygoïdien; Orofacial pain; Pterygoid hamulus; Soft palate; Voile du palais.