Localized tetanus: A case report

Abstract

Tetanus is a vaccine-preventable disease caused by a potent neurotoxin released following infection with the obligate anaerobic bacterium, Clostridium tetani. Of the four clinical forms of the disease, generalized tetanus accounts for the most common form of the disease. This is a case report of localized tetanus involving the thigh muscles in a 12-year unimmunized girl following a wound sustained around the right groin area initially thought to be an acetabular fracture. The child had antibiotics, antitetanus serum, sedatives, and wound care. She was unable to have full treatment because of parental decision to seek traditional treatment at home. The case is reported because of the rarity of localized tetanus, the diagnostic dilemma presented by the case, and the cultural interplay and understanding of the disease process by the patient/caregivers. It is also reported to highlight the gap in routine immunization and the need for booster doses in this age group.