[Essential tremor in Tunisia about 66 cases]

Essential tremor is a frequent hereditary disease beginning more frequently after the age of 65 years. It can be divided, following age at onset and familial history, into 3 groups: familial, sporadic and senile. Our series is composed of 22 patients suffering from familial essential tremor and 44 from senile type. We noted female predominance with a mean age of 70 years. The mean delay between the disease onset and the diagnosis confirmation is about 3 years. The bilateral form is frequent with significant symetric distal involvement of upper limbs comparatively to lower limbs. Drugs are indicated when tremor becomes important or handicapping. Meprobamate is well tolerated and constitutes an efficacious treatment