Title: Cephalic Tetanus – Paying the Price of Forgotten Injury in the Past
Author: Uzma Firdaus
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v4i6.64
Cephalic tetanus, a form of localized tetanus, can be defined as trismus plus involvement of one or more cranial nerves. Cephalic tetanus occasionally occurs as a sequel to otitis media or craniofacial injuries. Here we report a case of cephalic tetanus in a 6 year old boy with right facial nerve palsy, but no known risk factors for the development of tetanus. The child responded favourably to the timely medical management. Summing up, even though prompt medical management may improve the outcome of this life threatening disease, timely immunization can certainly prevent its occurrence. Keywords: cephalic tetanus, facial nerve palsy, child 1. Wells CL, Wilkins TD. Clostridia: Spore forming Anaerobic Bacilli. In: Baron S, editor. Medical Microbiology. 4th edition. Galveston (TX): University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston; 1996. Chapter 18. Available from: http:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK8219/ 2. Jagoda A, Riggio S, BurguieresT. Cephalic tetanus: a case report and review of the literature. Am J Emer Med 1988; 6: 128–130. 3. Ogun OA, Ashaye AO, Oba SO. Cephalic tetanus: a case report of a rare complication of orbito-ocular injury in a Nigerian. Nigerian Journal Ophthalmo-logy. 2005;13(1):32–35. 4. Jayavardhana A, Vijayalakshmi AM. Facial nerve paralysis as the first manifestation of tetanus in a 4-year-old girl Sri Lanka Journal of Child Health 2011; 40: 136-137 5. Fischer GW, Sunakorn P, Duangman C. Otogenous tetanus: a sequelae of chronic ear infections. Am J Dis Child 1977; 131: 445-6. 6. Park DM. Cranial nerve palsies in tetanus: Cephalic tetanus. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiat 1970 ; 33 : 212 – 5.Abstract
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