Beyond Bell's Palsy: Cephalic Tetanus Unveiled
Tetanus, although rare in vaccinated regions, remains common in developing countries. Cephalic tetanus, caused by Clostridium tetani, is a rare, potentially fatal neurological condition. The presenting symptoms include spasms, rigidity, and paralysis in the head and neck. This case report describes...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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ziauddin University
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Pakistan Journal of Medicine and Dentistry |
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| Online Access: | https://ojs.zu.edu.pk/pjmd/article/view/3017 |
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| author | Lubna Khan Samra Mansoori Raeda Khan Mohammad Iqbal |
| author_facet | Lubna Khan Samra Mansoori Raeda Khan Mohammad Iqbal |
| author_sort | Lubna Khan |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Tetanus, although rare in vaccinated regions, remains common in developing countries. Cephalic tetanus, caused by Clostridium tetani, is a rare, potentially fatal neurological condition. The presenting symptoms include spasms, rigidity, and paralysis in the head and neck. This case report describes a 5-year-old girl with unilateral facial paralysis initially diagnosed as Bell's palsy. Subsequent development of trismus and dysphagia led to a revised diagnosis of cephalic tetanus. Peripheral facial palsy may be an early sign of cephalic tetanus and should be considered in patients with relevant exposure history. Our patient’s recent nasal foreign body removal raised suspicion of cephalic tetanus, confirmed through clinical findings. Treatment with tetanus immunoglobulin and antibiotics led to gradual improvement. This case emphasizes the importance of considering cephalic tetanus in the differential diagnosis of facial nerve palsy, especially if there is a history of foreign body exposure. Early recognition and treatment are essential for favorable outcomes.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5b3d63932d1c4645bf05c81d2eda55a7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2313-7371 2308-2593 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | ziauddin University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pakistan Journal of Medicine and Dentistry |
| spelling | doaj-art-5b3d63932d1c4645bf05c81d2eda55a72025-01-19T20:18:33Zengziauddin UniversityPakistan Journal of Medicine and Dentistry2313-73712308-25932025-01-0114110.36283/ziun-pjmd14-1/026Beyond Bell's Palsy: Cephalic Tetanus UnveiledLubna Khan0Samra Mansoori1Raeda Khan2Mohammad Iqbal3Ziauddin University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.Ziauddin University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.Ziauddin University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.Ziauddin University & Hospital ,Karachi, Pakistan Tetanus, although rare in vaccinated regions, remains common in developing countries. Cephalic tetanus, caused by Clostridium tetani, is a rare, potentially fatal neurological condition. The presenting symptoms include spasms, rigidity, and paralysis in the head and neck. This case report describes a 5-year-old girl with unilateral facial paralysis initially diagnosed as Bell's palsy. Subsequent development of trismus and dysphagia led to a revised diagnosis of cephalic tetanus. Peripheral facial palsy may be an early sign of cephalic tetanus and should be considered in patients with relevant exposure history. Our patient’s recent nasal foreign body removal raised suspicion of cephalic tetanus, confirmed through clinical findings. Treatment with tetanus immunoglobulin and antibiotics led to gradual improvement. This case emphasizes the importance of considering cephalic tetanus in the differential diagnosis of facial nerve palsy, especially if there is a history of foreign body exposure. Early recognition and treatment are essential for favorable outcomes. https://ojs.zu.edu.pk/pjmd/article/view/3017TetanusBell’s palsyTrismusForeign Body |
| spellingShingle | Lubna Khan Samra Mansoori Raeda Khan Mohammad Iqbal Beyond Bell's Palsy: Cephalic Tetanus Unveiled Pakistan Journal of Medicine and Dentistry Tetanus Bell’s palsy Trismus Foreign Body |
| title | Beyond Bell's Palsy: Cephalic Tetanus Unveiled |
| title_full | Beyond Bell's Palsy: Cephalic Tetanus Unveiled |
| title_fullStr | Beyond Bell's Palsy: Cephalic Tetanus Unveiled |
| title_full_unstemmed | Beyond Bell's Palsy: Cephalic Tetanus Unveiled |
| title_short | Beyond Bell's Palsy: Cephalic Tetanus Unveiled |
| title_sort | beyond bell s palsy cephalic tetanus unveiled |
| topic | Tetanus Bell’s palsy Trismus Foreign Body |
| url | https://ojs.zu.edu.pk/pjmd/article/view/3017 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lubnakhan beyondbellspalsycephalictetanusunveiled AT samramansoori beyondbellspalsycephalictetanusunveiled AT raedakhan beyondbellspalsycephalictetanusunveiled AT mohammadiqbal beyondbellspalsycephalictetanusunveiled |