Tetanus differential diagnosis

Jump to navigation Jump to search

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Michael Maddaleni, B.S.; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Usama Talib, BSc, MD [2]

Overview

Tetanus must be differentiated from other diseases that present with fever and rigidity such as strychnine poisoning, dental infections, drug reactions, hypocalcemia, meningitis, stroke, and stiff man syndrome.[1]

Differentiating Tetanus from other Diseases

Tetanus must be differentiated from other diseases that present with fever and rigidity such as::[2][3][4]

Differential Diagnosis on the basis of Rigidity and Fever
Disease Diagnosis Treatment
Symptoms Signs Laboratory Findings
Tetanus[5][6]
  • Not significant
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome [7][8]
Viral Meningitis[9][10][11]
Stiff man syndrome
  • Marked rigidity
  • Spasms
    • Intermittent
    • Painful
    • Absent during sleep
Drug induced (Tardive dyskinesia)[12][13][14]
  • History of intake of the offending drug for at least one month
  • Eye deviation
  • Head and neck jerky movements
  • No tonic contraction of the muscles between the spasms
Strychnine poisoning[15][16][17][18]
  • Hx of up to date tetanus immunizations
  • History of intentional or accidental intake
    • Strychnos nux vomica seeds
    • Rodenticide
  • Hypervigilance
  • Anxiety
  • Mydriasis
  • Hypereflexia
  • Clonus
  • Facial and neck stiffness
  • Blood assay
  • Tissue assay
  • Urine assay
  • Initial stabilization
  • High dose Benzodiazepines
  • Intubation and airway securing
Hypocalcaemia[19][20]
Dental abscess[21][22]
  • Tooth pain
  • Painful eating and chewing
  • Fever
  • Poor oral hygiene
  • Presence of a dental infection
  • Swollen gums
  • No progression of spasm with time
  • Cheek swelling
  • Clinical diagnosis
  • Labs may include
    • Microscopic exam of stained smear
    • Culture of oral swab
    • Blood culture
  • Improved dental hygiene
    • Use of fluoridated water
    • Brushing regularly
  • Antibiotics
  • Dental extraction in case of severity
Parkinson's disease[23][24]
  • Clinical diagnosis
  • Improvement with dopaminergic therapy confirms diagnosis

Differential for Unilateral Involuntary Face Movements

Tetanus must also be differentiated from the following diseases that cause abnormal one sided movements of the face:[25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]

References

  1. Anisha Doshi, Clare Warrell, Dima Dahdaleh & Dimitri Kullmann (2014). "Just a graze? Cephalic tetanus presenting as a stroke mimic". Practical neurology. 14 (1): 39–41. doi:10.1136/practneurol-2013-000541. PMID 24052566. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  2. E. Andreadou, E. Kattoulas, C. Sfagos & D. Vassilopoulos (2007). "Stiff person syndrome: avoiding misdiagnosis". Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology. 28 (1): 35–37. doi:10.1007/s10072-007-0745-9. PMID 17385093. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  3. Lisa Mitchell, William Adams & Francois Aspesberro (2017). "Case 6: Episodic Stiffness in a 30-month-old Girl". Pediatrics in review. 38 (1): 52–53. doi:10.1542/pir.2014-0142. PMID 28044038. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  4. P. D. Thompson, J. A. Obeso, G. Delgado, J. Gallego & C. D. Marsden (1986). "Focal dystonia of the jaw and the differential diagnosis of unilateral jaw and masticatory spasm". Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry. 49 (6): 651–656. PMID 3734821. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  5. Woldeamanuel YW, Andemeskel AT, Kyei K, Woldeamanuel MW, Woldeamanuel W (2016). "Case fatality of adult tetanus in Africa: Systematic review and meta-analysis". J Neurol Sci. 368: 292–9. doi:10.1016/j.jns.2016.07.025. PMID 27538652.
  6. Thwaites CL, Loan HT (2015). "Eradication of tetanus". Br Med Bull. 116: 69–77. doi:10.1093/bmb/ldv044. PMC 4674006. PMID 26598719.
  7. Hosseini S, Elyasi F (2017). "Olanzapine-Induced Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome". Iran J Med Sci. 42 (3): 306–309. PMC 5429500. PMID 28533580.
  8. Leenhardt F, Perier D, Pinzani V, Giraud I, Villiet M, Castet-Nicolas A; et al. (2017). "Pharmacist intervention to detect drug adverse events on admission to the emergency department: Two case reports of neuroleptic malignant syndrome". J Clin Pharm Ther. doi:10.1111/jcpt.12531. PMID 28488314.
  9. Chow E, Troy SB (2014). "The differential diagnosis of hypoglycorrhachia in adult patients". Am J Med Sci. 348 (3): 186–90. doi:10.1097/MAJ.0000000000000217. PMC 4065645. PMID 24326618.
  10. Leen WG, Willemsen MA, Wevers RA, Verbeek MM (2012). "Cerebrospinal fluid glucose and lactate: age-specific reference values and implications for clinical practice". PLoS One. 7 (8): e42745. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0042745. PMC 3412827. PMID 22880096.
  11. Tyler KL (2004). "Herpes simplex virus infections of the central nervous system: encephalitis and meningitis, including Mollaret's". Herpes. 11 Suppl 2: 57A–64A. PMID 15319091.
  12. Deng ZD, Li DY, Zhang CC, Pan YX, Zhang J, Jin H; et al. (2017). "Long-term follow-up of bilateral subthalamic deep brain stimulation for refractory tardive dystonia". Parkinsonism Relat Disord. doi:10.1016/j.parkreldis.2017.05.010. PMID 28552340.
  13. "Valbenazine (Ingrezza) for tardive dyskinesia". Med Lett Drugs Ther. 59 (1521): 83–84. 2017. PMID 28520698.
  14. Voelker R (2017). "Tardive Dyskinesia Drug Approved". JAMA. 317 (19): 1942. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.5537. PMID 28510661.
  15. Charlotte Duverneuil, Geoffroy Lorin de la Grandmaison, Philippe de Mazancourt & Jean-Claude Alvarez (2004). "Liquid chromatography/photodiode array detection for determination of strychnine in blood: a fatal case report". Forensic science international. 141 (1): 17–21. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2003.12.010. PMID 15066709. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  16. B. A. Smith (1990). "Strychnine poisoning". The Journal of emergency medicine. 8 (3): 321–325. PMID 2197324. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  17. B. J. Maron, J. R. Krupp & B. Tune (1971). "Strychnine poisoning successfully treated with diazepam". The Journal of pediatrics. 78 (4): 697–699. PMID 5547830. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  18. B. Oberpaur, A. Donoso, C. Claveria, C. Valverde & M. Azocar (1999). "Strychnine poisoning: an uncommon intoxication in children". Pediatric emergency care. 15 (4): 264–265. PMID 10460082. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  19. Chhabra P, Rana SS, Sharma V, Sharma R, Bhasin DK (2016). "Hypocalcemic tetany: a simple bedside marker of poor outcome in acute pancreatitis". Ann Gastroenterol. 29 (2): 214–20. doi:10.20524/aog.2016.0015. PMC 4805743. PMID 27065735.
  20. Desai M, Kolla PK, Reddy PL (2013). "Calcium unresponsive hypocalcemic tetany: gitelman syndrome with hypocalcemia". Case Rep Med. 2013: 197374. doi:10.1155/2013/197374. PMC 3792521. PMID 24171002.
  21. Ogle OE (2017). "Odontogenic Infections". Dent Clin North Am. 61 (2): 235–252. doi:10.1016/j.cden.2016.11.004. PMID 28317564.
  22. Bertossi D, Barone A, Iurlaro A, Marconcini S, De Santis D, Finotti M; et al. (2017). "Odontogenic Orofacial Infections". J Craniofac Surg. 28 (1): 197–202. doi:10.1097/SCS.0000000000003250. PMID 27930461.
  23. Olanow CW, Watts RL, Koller WC (2001). "An algorithm (decision tree) for the management of Parkinson's disease (2001): treatment guidelines". Neurology. 56 (11 Suppl 5): S1–S88. PMID 11402154.
  24. Connolly BS, Lang AE (2014). "Pharmacological treatment of Parkinson disease: a review". JAMA. 311 (16): 1670–83. doi:10.1001/jama.2014.3654. PMID 24756517.
  25. P. D. Thompson, J. A. Obeso, G. Delgado, J. Gallego & C. D. Marsden (1986). "Focal dystonia of the jaw and the differential diagnosis of unilateral jaw and masticatory spasm". Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry. 49 (6): 651–656. PMID 3734821. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  26. J. R. Berger, W. A. Sheremata & E. Melamed (1984). "Paroxysmal dystonia as the initial manifestation of multiple sclerosis". Archives of neurology. 41 (7): 747–750. PMID 6743065. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  27. W. B. Matthews (1975). "Paroxysmal symptoms in multiple sclerosis". Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry. 38 (6): 617–623. PMID 1151430. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  28. P. D. Thompson & W. M. Carroll (1983). "Hemimasticatory spasm--a peripheral paroxysmal cranial neuropathy?". Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry. 46 (3): 274–276. PMID 6842234. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  29. P. D. Thompson & W. M. Carroll (1983). "Hemimasticatory and hemifacial spasm: a common pathophysiology?". Clinical and experimental neurology. 19: 110–119. PMID 6568919.
  30. L. R. Jenkyn, D. B. Walsh, C. M. Culver & A. G. Reeves (1977). "Clinical signs in diffuse cerebral dysfunction". Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry. 40 (10): 956–966. PMID 591973. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  31. J. D. Rugh & W. K. Solberg (1976). "Psychological implications in temporomandibular pain and dysfunction". Oral sciences reviews. 7: 3–30. PMID 775369.
  32. Bond WS (1984). "Detection and management of the neuroleptic malignant syndrome". Clin Pharm. 3 (3): 302–7. PMID 6145537.
  33. S. Fahn, S. B. Bressman & C. D. Marsden (1998). "Classification of dystonia". Advances in neurology. 78: 1–10. PMID 9750897.
  34. Howard L. Geyer & Susan B. Bressman (2006). "The diagnosis of dystonia". The Lancet. Neurology. 5 (9): 780–790. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(06)70547-6. PMID 16914406. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  35. Christine Klein & Laurie J. Ozelius (2002). "Dystonia: clinical features, genetics, and treatment". Current opinion in neurology. 15 (4): 491–497. PMID 12151848. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

Template:WH Template:WS