help on diagnosis

(Jiang) said:

Since the middle of May 2004, my friend's sister has been
suffering from a strange disease. She has been examined in
several hospitals, but the source of the illness is not
determined yet. Now her illness becomes more and more
serious. The symptoms are as follows: In May 15th, She felt
difficult in swallow, but can still eat food; in May 16th
she can not swallow any food including fluids; in 17th she
felt uneasy in the neck and mouth, could not turn her head
around, could hardly speak. In May 18th she was sent to the
City Hospital. In May 19th she could hardly open her mouth,
could not talk; in 20th she felt hard in breath. Since she
could not discharge phlegm, she was sent to ICU and took in
Oxygen and Nitrogen. The hospital finished all the exams
including MRI, blood, marrow and related organs exam, but
didn't found the cause of the illness. In May 21st she was
transferred to a sencond hospital. In that evening she
suffered serious convulsion, breath-blocking, lack of
Oxygen. After exam, the doctors thought the disease is
probably tetanus, and transferred her to a hospital
specialized in tetanus treatment. But she didn't have any
injury in the body, and was conscious all the time. After
one week's treatment she didn't get better. Convulsion is
frequent in her neck and mouth. Other symptoms include high
fever (38 C), heart beat rate 130/minute. Sometimes the
blood pressure and breath rate are much higher than normal.
It's then doubted that this is not tetanus, but there's not
other reasonable explaination yet.

Please help, it would be very much appreciated if anyone
can give any hints on the diagnosis.

Although the convulsions wouldn't fit, was she tested
for botulism?

PF

"Jiang" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Since the middle of May 2004, my friend's sister has been
suffering from a strange disease. She has been examined in
several hospitals, but the source of the illness is not
determined yet. Now her illness becomes more and more
serious. The symptoms are as follows: In May 15th, She
felt difficult in swallow, but can still eat food; in May
16th she can not swallow any food including fluids; in
17th she felt uneasy in the neck and mouth, could not turn
her head around, could hardly speak. In May 18th she was
sent to the City Hospital. In May 19th she could hardly
open her mouth, could not talk; in 20th she felt hard in
breath. Since she could not discharge phlegm, she was sent
to ICU and took in Oxygen and Nitrogen. The hospital
finished all the exams including MRI, blood, marrow and
related organs exam, but didn't found the cause of the
illness. In May 21st she was transferred to a sencond
hospital. In that evening she suffered serious convulsion,
breath-blocking, lack of Oxygen. After exam, the doctors
thought the disease is probably tetanus, and transferred
her to a hospital specialized in tetanus treatment. But
she didn't have any injury in the body, and was conscious
all the time. After one week's treatment she didn't get
better. Convulsion is frequent in her neck and mouth.
Other symptoms include high fever (38 C), heart beat rate
130/minute. Sometimes the blood pressure and breath rate
are much higher than normal. It's then doubted that this
is not tetanus, but there's not other reasonable
explaination yet.

Please help, it would be very much appreciated if anyone
can give any hints on the diagnosis.

I would have to be inclined to think tetanus. The high
fever, increased heart rate are consistent. Neck and jaw
spasms are also common. As are spasms of the abdominal and
back muscles, and these may be mistaken for siezures. The
symptoms of tetanus can take up to two months to develop
after an injury, and in many cases the injury itself is so
trivial that the patient doesn't remember it.

HMc

Today the patient is geting better. It seems the
treatment works.

Thanks for all the answers.

Jiang

"Howard McCollister" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

"Jiang" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Since the middle of May 2004, my friend's sister has
been suffering from a strange disease. She has been
examined in several hospitals, but the source of the
illness is not determined yet. Now her illness becomes
more and more serious. The symptoms are as follows: In
May 15th, She felt difficult in swallow, but can still
eat food; in May 16th she can not swallow any food
including fluids; in 17th she felt uneasy in the neck
and mouth, could not turn her head around, could hardly
speak. In May 18th she was sent to the City Hospital. In
May 19th she could hardly open her mouth, could not
talk; in 20th she felt hard in breath. Since she could
not discharge phlegm, she was sent to ICU and took in
Oxygen and Nitrogen. The hospital finished all the exams
including MRI, blood, marrow and related organs exam,
but didn't found the cause of the illness. In May 21st
she was transferred to a sencond hospital. In that
evening she suffered serious convulsion, breath-
blocking, lack of Oxygen. After exam, the doctors
thought the disease is probably tetanus, and transferred
her to a hospital specialized in tetanus treatment. But
she didn't have any injury in the body, and was
conscious all the time. After one week's treatment she
didn't get better. Convulsion is frequent in her neck
and mouth. Other symptoms include high fever (38 C),
heart beat rate 130/minute. Sometimes the blood pressure
and breath rate are much higher than normal. It's then
doubted that this is not tetanus, but there's not other
reasonable explaination yet.

Please help, it would be very much appreciated if anyone
can give any hints on the diagnosis.

I would have to be inclined to think tetanus. The high
fever, increased heart rate are consistent. Neck and jaw
spasms are also common. As are spasms of the abdominal and
back muscles, and these may be mistaken for siezures. The
symptoms of tetanus can take up to two months to develop
after an injury, and in many cases the injury itself is so
trivial that the patient doesn't remember it.

HMc

How about differntial diagnosis? Have such things as a virus
infecting the spinal cord, viral meningitis, Lyme Disease
etc already been ruled out?

What is her white count? How about endocrine disorders?

There is really not enough information provided. All to
often you really can not get to a decent diagnosis until you
have ruled out many other things.

Hope things work out.

PHM

"Howard McCollister" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Jiang" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Since the middle of May 2004, my friend's sister has
been suffering from a strange disease. She has been
examined in several hospitals, but the source of the
illness is not determined yet. Now her illness becomes
more and more serious. The symptoms are as follows: In
May 15th, She felt difficult in swallow, but can still
eat food; in May 16th she can not swallow any food
including fluids; in 17th she felt uneasy in the neck
and mouth, could not turn her head around, could hardly
speak. In May 18th she was sent to the City Hospital. In
May 19th she could hardly open her mouth, could not
talk; in 20th she felt hard in breath. Since she could
not discharge phlegm, she was sent to ICU and took in
Oxygen and Nitrogen. The hospital finished all the exams
including MRI, blood, marrow and related organs exam,
but didn't found the cause of the illness. In May 21st
she was transferred to a sencond hospital. In that
evening she suffered serious convulsion, breath-
blocking, lack of Oxygen. After exam, the doctors
thought the disease is probably tetanus, and transferred
her to a hospital specialized in tetanus treatment. But
she didn't have any injury in the body, and was
conscious all the time. After one week's treatment she
didn't get better. Convulsion is frequent in her neck
and mouth. Other symptoms include high fever (38 C),
heart beat rate 130/minute. Sometimes the blood pressure
and breath rate are much higher than normal. It's then
doubted that this is not tetanus, but there's not other
reasonable explaination yet.

Please help, it would be very much appreciated if anyone
can give any hints on the diagnosis.

I would have to be inclined to think tetanus. The high
fever, increased heart rate are consistent. Neck and jaw
spasms are also common. As are spasms of the abdominal and
back muscles, and these may be mistaken for siezures. The
symptoms of tetanus can take up to two months to develop

after

Quoted message said:

an injury, and in many cases the injury itself is so
trivial that the patient doesn't remember it.

HMc