Acute dysphagia in an octogenarian: an unusual case of tetanus

Tetanus is a major worldwide health problem, and its global incidence has been estimated to be approximately 1 million cases per year. In particular, tetanus is more frequent in the elderly as compared with adults. We report a case of an octogenarian who presented with dysphagia and tremors as the only clinical symptoms. During hospitalization, the patient's clinical conditions worsened rapidly, and, although in absence of the classic clinical presentation (trisma, nuchal rigidity, and opisthotonus), a diagnosis of tetanus was suspected. Thus, the patient underwent a tetanus immunoglobulin immunization and antibiotic therapy with excellent clinical recovery.