Jaw fractures in Nigerian children: an analysis of 102 cases

A CAJM journal article.Objectives: To present the prevalence and pattern of jaw fractures in children aged 15 years and below attending two hospitals serving as referral centres for facial injuries in North Eastern Nigeria. Design: Retrospective Cross Sectional Study. Settings: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Borno State, Nigeria. Subjects: One hundred and two patients with jaw fractures aged 15 years and below. Main Outcome Measures: Aetiological factors and pattern of jaw fractures in children aged 15 years and below. Results: We retrospectively reviewed 102 patients with jaw fractures aged 15 years and below seen over a five year period at two referral centres in Maiduguri, Northeastern Nigeria. This constituted 9.5% of the total 1074 cases of maxillofacial injuries managed during the period. The male to female ratio was 7.5:1 and there was a male reponderance in all age groups. The main causes of fractures were road traffic accident (n=55, 53.7%) followed by falls (n=26,25%). Other etiological factors such as fights, sports and gunshots accounted for the remaining cases. The mandible was the commonest site with the body commonly fractured (n=74, 72.5%). No Le Fort III fractures were identified in this study. Conclusion: Despite some limitations to our data, such as exclusion of patients who attended private clinics and lack of modern diagnostic methods, this report shows that there is obvious need for concern about the high. prevalence of maxillofacial injuries in children caused by road traffic accidents, in North Eastern Nigeria

Reasons for late presentation of cleft deformity in northeastern Nigeria

Cleft lip and palate is the commonest congenital deformity of the orofacial region. It is generally accepted that the surgical operations of cleft lip and palate should be done early in life. Indeveloping countries, a significant number of these patients present for treatment in late childhood and in some instances as adults. The precise reasons for this will most certainly vary from culture to culture, but the common reasons may be quite similar in many countries Method: Fifty-two patients with facial clefts who presented late at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital within a 2-year period were assessed by interviewing either the parents, relations or even the patients themselves. Result: The reasons for late presentation were financial constraint (46%), lack of knowledge of availability of cleft services (40%), far distance from cleft centre (8%), cultural beliefs (4%) and fear of surgery(2%). Conclusion: The result of this study revealed financial constraint and lack of knowledge of availability of cleft services as prominent reasons why majority of patients with cleft deformity presents late. Adequate funding of cleft care from both government and non-governmental organisations, providing primary health care workers with information regarding the availability of cleft services and improved public enlightenment programme would reduce the rate of late presentation in Nigeria and other developing countries

Jaw fractures in Nigerian children: an analysis of 102 cases

Objectives: To present the prevalence and pattern of jaw fractures in children aged 15 years and below attending two hospitals serving as referral centres for facial injuries in North Eastern Nigeria. Design: Retrospective Cross Sectional Study. Settings: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Borno State, Nigeria. Subjects: One hundred and two patients with jaw fractures aged 15 years and below. Main Outcome Measures: Aetiological factors and pattern of jaw fractures in children aged 15 years and below. Results: We retrospectively reviewed 102 patients with jaw fractures aged 15 years and below seen over a five year period at two referral centres in Maiduguri, Northeastern Nigeria. This constituted 9.5% of the total 1074 cases of maxillofacial injuries managed during the period. The male to female ratio was 7.5:1 and there was a male reponderance in all age groups. The main causes of fractures were road traffic accident (n=55, 53.7%) followed by falls (n=26,25%). Other etiological factors such as fights, sports and gunshots accounted for the remaining cases. The mandible was the commonest site with the body commonly fractured (n=74, 72.5%). No Le Fort III fractures were identified in this study. Conclusion: Despite some limitations to our data, such as exclusion of patients who attended private clinics and lack of modern diagnostic methods, this report shows that there is obvious need for concern about the high. prevalence of maxillofacial injuries in children caused by road traffic accidents, in North Eastern Nigeria

Letter to the Editor: Feedback after continuous assessment: An essential element of students’ learning in medical education

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Genetic studies in the nigerian population implicate an MSX1 mutation in complex oral facial clefting disorders

BACKGROUND: Orofacial clefts are the most common malformations of the head and neck with a World-wide prevalence of 1/700 births. They are commonly divided into CL(P) and CP based on anatomical, genetic and embryological findings. A Nigerian craniofacial anomalies study “NigeriaCRAN” was set up in 2006 to investigate the role of gene-environment interaction in the etiology of orofacial clefts in Nigeria. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: DNA isolated from saliva from the Nigerian probands was used for genotype association studies and direct sequencing on the cleft candidate genes: MSX1, IRF6, FOXE1, FGFR1, FGFR2, BMP4, MAFB, ABCA4, PAX7 and VAX1, and the chromosome 8q region. RESULTS: A missense mutation A34G in MSX1 was observed in nine cases and four hap map controls. No other apparent etiologic variations were identified. A deviation from HWE was observed in the cases (p= 0.00002). There was a significant difference between the affected side for unilateral CL (p=0.03) and, between bilateral clefts and clefts on either side (p=0.02). A significant gender difference was also observed for CP (p=0.008). CONCLUSIONS: The replication of a mutation previously implicated in other populations suggests a role for the MSX1 A34G variant in the etiology of CL(P)