Tetany: Symptoms, Complaints, Signs

The following symptoms and complaints may indicate tetany:

Leading symptoms of latent tetany.

  • Reduction in performance
  • Muscle cramps
  • Sensory disturbances
  • Unspecified rheumatoid (rheumatoid-like), migraine (migraine-like), stenocardial (chest– or heart-like), or asthmoid (asthma-like) symptoms, respectively.

Leading symptoms of manifest tetany (tetanic seizure).

  • Preceding usually undefined prodromal symptoms (eg, paresthesias).
  • Symmetrical painful tonic muscle spasm with carpopedal spasms (paw or obstetric position of the hands, equinovarus position of the feet) [after min to hr contractures subside in reverse order of occurrence].
  • Tetany face
  • Laryngospasm (spasm of the glottis)
  • Vomiting
  • Bronchial asthma

Especially in hypocalcemic (decreased calcium blood levels) tetany.

  • Trophic disorders on ectodermal (ectoderm, meaning the outer cotyledon) tissues:
    • Brittleness of the nails
    • Tooth grooves
    • Cataract (cataract)