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Chronic tetanus: Clinical report and histochemistry of muscle
Author(s) -
Risk Winthrop S.,
Bosch E. Peter,
Kimura Jun,
Cancilla Pasquale A.,
Fischbeck Kenneth H.,
Layzer Robert B.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/mus.880040502
Subject(s) - tetanus , reinnervation , medicine , denervation , atrophy , masseter muscle , electromyography , muscle atrophy , muscle biopsy , tetanus antitoxin , neuromuscular junction , biopsy , pathology , anesthesia , anatomy , vaccination , biology , neuroscience , physical medicine and rehabilitation
A patient who was partially immune to tetanus developed nonfulminant tetanus after a minor injury. Manifestations of the disease persisted for over 17 months. Electrophysiologic studies revealed an absent silent period in the masseter muscle, large‐amplitude F‐responses, and denervation. A muscle biopsy showed neurogenic atrophy with reinnervation. This observation supports the existence of chronic tetanus and provides morphologic evidence for a peripheral action of tetanus toxin in humans.