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Otogenic tetanus: Case presentation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2007

R. L. Blair
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Mount Sinai Hospital, 600 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X5, Canada.

Abstract

Tetanus resulting from ear injury is extremely rare. However, the otologist should be aware that it does occur. A case of otogenic tetanus recently treated by the authors is presented.

In Western countries tetanus in now a rare disease because of extensive immunization programmes. Otogenic tetanus is extremely uncommon in North America, but occurs more frequently in tropical regions (De and De, 1970).

Less than forty new cases of tetanus are seen in the Province of Ontario (population, 8·4 million) each year (Department of Statistics, Government of Ontario).

It has been stated that the operative treatment of otogenic tetanus should include radical mastoidectomy (Black and Atkins, 1972). This is probably true in severe cases but milder cases do not require this form of therapy.

Most children in Canada receive primary immunization with Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis vaccine (DTP) in the early years of life. However, especially in large urban centres, there is a large non-immunized or partially immunized immigrant population.

Tetanus occurring in such an immigrant is described.

Type
Clinical records
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 1979

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References

REFERENCES

Black, F. O., and Atkins, C. C. (1972) Archives of Otolaryngology, 96, 76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Department of Statistics (1976) Ministry of Health, Government of Ontario.Google Scholar
De, S., and De, S. K. (1970) Journal of Laryngology and Otology, 84, 331.CrossRefGoogle Scholar