title: Trismus, the first symptom in a challenging diagnosis of Tetanus.
abstract: Tetanus is a severe, life-threatening infectious disease present worldwide. The incidence of this disease is very low in developed countries, and practitioners are unfamiliar with its symptoms and signs, resulting in late diagnosis and low recovery rate. Furthermore, main symptoms, such as trismus, are often associated with several confounding factors: these may lead the physician to send patients towards an incorrect diagnostic management and the calling on of wrong specialists. This case focuses on the importance of considering tetanus in the differential diagnosis of trismus associated with systemic symptoms, and discusses the clinical implications of an initial wrong diagnostic pathway.
authors: Department of Otolaryngology, San Paolo Hospital, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors: Lorenzo
authors: L
authors: Giannini
authors: Department of Otolaryngology, San Paolo Hospital, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors: Alberto
authors: A
authors: Maccari
authors: Regional Centre for Epilepsy,San Paolo Hospital, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors: Valentina
authors: V
authors: Chiesa
authors: Regional Centre for Epilepsy,San Paolo Hospital, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors: Maria Paola
authors: MP
authors: Canevini
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013742:Tetanus / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014313:Trismus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*