Trismus as a clinical manifestation of tetanus: A case report and literature review

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Résumé

Rare in developed countries because of vaccination, tetanus remain public major problem of health in poor countries and each agecan be affected. If newborn
tetanus is one of the first causes of babies’ death in these countries, its prognosis depend onseveral parameters. Incubation duration, quick generalization of
signs, signs gravity, possibility of good treatment and mostly subject topical (age, existence of others diseases) has a great impact on this disease evolution.
Lateness in consultation, confusion in unknow symptoms interpretation, long ways for treatement in our context lead to delays diagnosis. We report a case of
tetanus diagnosed with Armengaud's "captive" tongue depressor test at the stage of cardiopulmonary complications, in an elderly subject who had long been
followed in stomatology for tight trismus and dysphagia. As tetanus is still present in our environment, the odontostomatologist, faced with a trismus with no
obvious oral cause, should think about tetanus which he confirmed with Armengaud's simple "captive" tongue depressor test in order to refer the patient as
soon as possible for early management.

Mots-clés

Tetanus, Trismus, Armengaud's "captive" tongue depressor, Complications, Case report