opisthotonus
Last reviewed 01/2018
Opisthotonus is a form of spasm in which head, neck and spine are arched backwards.
It is most often caused by tetanus but may also result from strychnine poisoning, spinal meningitis, as a side effect of treatment with neuroleptics, or as a hysterical manifestation. In jaundiced neonates it may be a manifestation of kernicterus.