• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
• /
• v.45 no.3
• /
• pp.79-82
• /
• 2020

Tetanus is a fatal disease caused by the infection Clostridium tetani found in animal feces and soil. It is a vaccine-preventable disease and rarely occurs in developed countries. However, approximately 30 cases still occur annually in South Korea. Tetanus, commonly called lockjaw, cause contraction of the masseter muscles in the early stage, resulting in trismus as the first symptom. As it progresses, spasm extends to various muscles in the face, neck, shoulder, and back, leading to distorted facial expression, dysphagia, backward arching of the body, dyspnea, and even death. Early diagnosis of tetanus is critical because it can quickly become fatal if left untreated. We present a case of trismus caused by tetanus and emphasize the importance of early diagnosis of acute trismus.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
• /
• v.43 no.4
• /
• pp.136-141
• /
• 2018

Oral cancer is a malignant neoplasm of the lips or oral cavity. Surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy depending on the location and stage of the tumor can be considered as important treatment modalities of oral cancer. Unfortunately, all three treatments can have both acute and chronic complications. Among them, trismus and osteoradionecrosis (ORN), unique complications of radiotherapy in the orofacial region, are particularly difficult to treat once manifested. Therefore, these two complications of radiotherapy have devastating effects on the patient's oral health and furthermore, overall quality of life. In this study, we present a case of a patient showing trismus and ORN following radiotherapy for the treatment of maxillary squamous cell carcinoma and briefly discuss this matter of trismus and ORN in the perspective of a dentist.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• /
• v.40 no.6
• /
• pp.301-307
• /
• 2014

Coronoid process hyperplasia is a rare condition that causes mouth opening limitation, otherwise known as trismus. The elongated coronoid processes impinge on the medial surfaces of the zygomatic arches when opening the mouth, which limits movement of the mandible and leads to trismus. Patients with trismus due to coronoid process hyperplasia do not have any definite symptoms such as temporomandibular joint pain or sounds upon clinical examination, and no significant abnormal signs are observed on panoramic radiographs or magnetic resonance images of the temporomandibular joint. Thus, the diagnosis of trismus is usually very difficult. However, computed tomography can help with the diagnosis, and the condition can be treated by surgery and postoperative physical therapy. This paper describes four cases of patients who visited our clinic for trismus and were subsequently diagnosed with coronoid process hyperplasia. Three were successfully treated with a coronoidectomy and postoperative physical therapy.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.161-167
• /
• 2018

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory efficacy of preemptive intravenous ibuprofen on inflammatory complications such as edema and trismus in patients undergoing impacted mandibular third molar surgery. Methods: Sixty patients were included and divided into three groups (800 mg IV ibuprofen + 50 mg dexketoprofen, 800 mg IV ibuprofen, and control). In all patients, preoperative hemodynamic values were recorded before the infusions. The operation was started at 15-min post-infusion. Evaluation of edema size on the face and mouth opening (trismus) was conducted in the preoperative period, and at postoperative 48 h and 1 week. Results: No difference was determined among the groups in trismus and edema size in postoperative measurements (P > 0.05). There was a difference between group 2 and group 3 only in measurement value of tragus-corner of the mouth on the postoperative day 2 (P < 0.05). A difference was found between the measurement values of trismus preoperatively and at preoperative day 2, and between postoperative day 2 and 1 week in group 3 based on time (P < 0.05). In group 3, edema on the face on postoperative day 2 increased significantly compared to that in the preoperative period (P < 0.001); in addition, edema increased significantly in groups 1 and 2 in the postoperative period but was less than that in group 3 (P < 0.001). Conclusions: In this study, intravenous ibuprofen was determined to be more effective alone or in combination in alleviating trismus and to better limit the postoperative edema.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• /
• v.32 no.6
• /
• pp.544-558
• /
• 2006

Trismus is a common problem to most people experiencing at once in his or her life and to most dental practitioners experiencing frequently. It has a number of potential causes which are single factor or complex factors. Its treatment will depend on the cause. The purpose of this study was to discuss the causes of trismus condition and the various treatments available. This study was made by reviewing of collected data from 86 patients complained of trismus among patients who were diagnosed by TMD, tumor, infection including tetanus, soft tissue anomalies, bony fracture and ankylosis from Jan 2002 to Dec 2004 on department of oral and maxillofacial surgery at Pusan National University Hospital, South Korea. The clinical reviews regarding chief complaints, clinical characteristics, diagnostic examination, treatments and the results on the patients were given as follows. 1. The etiology of trismus commonly were derived from temporomandibular joint(TMJ) disorder, TMJ ankylosis, TMJ tumor, odontogenic maxillofacial infection, mandibular condylar fracture, tetanus. 2. The chief complaints of trismus patients were progressive mouth opening limitation, TMJ pain, malocclusion, facial asymmetry, retrognathic state. 3. Especially, for the differential diagnosis between the fibrous ankylosis and true bony ankylosis, computed tomogram (CT) was useful. Surgical gap arthroplasty on bony ankylosis patients was applied and the gain of mouth opening after operation was average 35.8 mm during 19 months. 4. The tetanus, rarely, also induced the trismus with the range of mouth opening less than 10 mm. The average serum level of tetanus anti-toxin was 0.02-0.04 IU/mL. The limitation of mouth opening was improved into average 38 mm on 4 weeks after injection of 10,000 units of tetanus immune globulin. 5. In the treatment of osteochondroma, TMD, odontogenic infection and fracture, and the others inducing trismus, to obtian the maximum result and decreased inadequate time and effort, it is important to finding the causes from the exact clinical examination and diagnosis.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.376-379
• /
• 2001

There are many causes of trismus. Aetiology can be roughly divided into muscle spasm, mechanical interference, extracapsular ankylosis, intracapsular ankylosis. Trismus caused by mechanical interference between postero-lateral wall of zygoma-maxillary complex and coronoid process following reduction of fractured facial bone is rare. Especially on maxillary bone fracture, when we faced the trismus following removal of intermaxillary fixation, we got used to solve that problem by physical exercise. We obtained good results by coronoidectomy on patients with limited mouth opening who were referred from department of plastic surgery, St. Marys' hospital, the Catholic university of Korea. We report our experience with literature review.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
• /
• v.46 no.3
• /
• pp.93-97
• /
• 2021

The limited mouth opening, also known as trismus, can result from temporomandibular joint disorders, infection, neoplasm, trauma, and abnormal anatomic structure like coronoid hyperplasia. Head and neck cancer patients often complain of limited mouth opening, which is usually induced by myofibrotic contracture of masticatory muscle. But clinicians should consider any reasons such as infection or cancer growth and metastasis if trismus gets worse or pain develops. We report the case of the patient, who was diagnosed with myxofibrosarcoma on nasal cavity. He had suffered from trismus after concurrent chemoradiotherapy. However, pain had developed and trismus had worsened. He was diagnosed with infratemporal space abscess and myositis of masticatory muscles.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
• /
• v.42 no.2
• /
• pp.49-52
• /
• 2017

Leukemia is a malignant disease characterized by uncontrolled clonal proliferation of white blood cells. It is classified depending on clinical course of disease (acute or chronic) and the primary hematopoietic cell line affected (myeloid or lymphoid). Leukemia is often associated with orofacial manifestations, such as oral bleeding, petechiae, oral ulceration, gingival enlargement, mucosal pallor and mental nerve neuropathy. However, trismus has been rarely reported as a sign of leukemia. We present a case of trismus caused by acute lymphoblastic leukemia and emphasize the importance of orofacial manifestations in the early diagnosis of leukemia.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.168-172
• /
• 2014

Bilateral coronoid hyperplasia causes painless progressive trismus, resulting from coronoid process impingement on the posterior aspect of the zygomatic bone. The etiology of coronoid hyperplasia is unclear, with various theories proposed. An endocrine stimulus, increased temporalis activity, trauma, genetic inheritance and familial occurrence have all been proposed, but no substantive evidence exists to support any of these hypotheses. Multiplanar reformatting of axial scans and 3-dimensional reconstruction permit precise reproduction of the shape and size of the coronoid and malar structures, and relationships of all structures of the temporal and infratemporal fossae. This case shows remarkably increased mouth opening by coronoidectomy in a patient who complained of trismus due to hyperplasia of coronoid process.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• /
• v.41 no.1
• /
• pp.43-47
• /
• 2015

In the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, patients with trismus can be easily identified. If the cause of trismus is infection of the masticatory space near the pterygoid plexus, the possibility of cavernous sinus thrombosis should be considered. We report the case of a patient who presented with limited mouth opening and progressed to cavernous sinus thrombosis, along with a review of the relevant literature.