[A case of tetanus showing limited mobility of the bilateral vocal cords]

Patients with tetanus complaining of common signs such as lockjaw, voice disturbance, and difficulty in swallowing, etc, should never be forgotten. A 71-year old woman complained of dyspnea and difficulty in swallowing. She had lockjaw with tongue bite soon after a tracheostomy, and she was diagnosed as having tetanus. She showed the redundant gag reflex even to a slight stimulus and limited mobility of bilateral vocal cords, which improved following intravenous administration of diazepam. This case suggests that the mobility of the vocal cords and the movement of the larynx could be limited in tetanus because even a slight stimulus caused a strong gag reflex, resulting in dyspnea or difficulty in swallowing.