Dysphagia and trismus: an unusual case of tetanus

Journal of Health and Social Sciences

Marianna Gregorio¹  Antonio Villa¹  Alessandra Perego¹  Maria Grazia Bellotti²  Maria Francesca Donato²  Francesca Bassi²  Vilma Galimberti²  Antonella Cheldi² 

[1] Emergency Department – Desio Hospital (Monza-Brianza), Italy;Neurology Department – Desio Hospital (Monza-Brianza), Italy;

关键词: tetanus;    trismus;    dysphagia;    lymphocytopenia;    immunodepression;    Sjogren’s syndrome;   

DOI  :  10.19204/2016/dysp9

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Tetanus is a life-threatening infection that is rare in the developed world; it is more frequent in the elderly people and immunocompromised patients. We report a case of a 53-year-old woman who presented with dysphagia, mouth pain and trismus. She did not report any injuries. The suspected diagnosis of tetanus was made. The blood examination showed severe lymphocytopenia and a positive result for the antinuclear antibody (ANA) test, with a suspected diagnosis of Sjogren’s syndrome. It is possible that her immunocompromised conditions could have led to the onset of tetanus, even after casual and minimal contact with Clostridium spores.

【 授权许可】

Unknown