Trismus in the paediatric population

Abstract

Trismus is a rare presentation affecting neonates, children, and adults. In newborns there are serious implications, with potential to affect feeding, cause airway problems, and make intubation difficult. Causes of trismus seen in the paediatric patient are discussed in this review article; they are divided into intra‐ and extra‐articular types. The extra‐articular group consists of congenital and acquired disorders. The acquired group includes infective causes such as tetanus, iatrogenic causes related to drugs, cancer or dental treatment, and trauma causing articulation difficulty or triggering a rare type of bone growth in myositis ossificans. Changes in the mouth resulting from oral submucous fibrosis can undergo malignant transformation. This review aims to raise awareness of potential causes of trismus in paediatric populations, helping clinicians identify the underlying pathology so appropriate strategies for treatment be applied, with the ultimate aim of improving long‐term outlook and quality of life for affected children.

Infant developmental profile of Crisponi syndrome due to compound heterozygosity for CRLF1 deletion

“…Crisponi syndrome/ CISS1 can be suspected in the presence of the following clinical triad: camptodactyly with fisted hands, intermittent hyperthermia and muscular contractions with feeding difficulties. Considering the overlapping symptoms, differential diagnosis to be made are as follows: CNTFRrelated genodermatoses affecting other receptor ligands (CLCF1, LIFR, and KLHL7), neonatal tetanus, Pierre Robin sequence, hereditary hyperekplexia, oculoauriculovertebral syndrome, Bowen-Conradi syndrome, Pena-Shokeir syndrome, Freeman-Sheldon/Sheldon-Hall syndromes, trisomy 18, and MEVA (Crisponi, 1996;Shires and Chow, 2015).…”

A 17-Year-old With Trismus and Neck Pain

“…These include infection, trauma, dental infection, temporomandibular joint disorder, tumors, drugs, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, congenital problems, and miscellaneous disorders. [1][2][3] In our case, magnetic resonance imaging showed myositis of the medial and lateral pterygoid muscles (Fig. 1), which was likely an extension from the patient's dental infection and the etiology of her trismus.…”

An adolescent with limited mouth opening

“…Trismus, the inability to entirely open the mouth, is uncommon in the paediatric population . This condition may be due to a congenital disorder, such as Pierre Robin syndrome, or acquired due to infection, trauma, neoplasia, medications and/or as a complication of cancer therapy .…”

“…Trismus, the inability to entirely open the mouth, is uncommon in the paediatric population . This condition may be due to a congenital disorder, such as Pierre Robin syndrome, or acquired due to infection, trauma, neoplasia, medications and/or as a complication of cancer therapy . Foreign body‐related trismus is very rare in the paediatric population but has been associated with soft tissue injury due to toothbrushes and orthodontic wire .…”