title: Report of an infant with noma (cancrum oris).
abstract: Noma (cancrum oris) is an infectious disease that destroys the oro-facial tissues and other neighboring structures in its fulminating course. The starting point of the disease is acute ulcero-necrotic gingivitis, which results in an extensive gangrenous plaque destroying all of the soft tissues of the face. It predominantly affects children aged 2-16 years and is primarily seen in areas where the socioeconomic standards are low and there is poor hygiene, as in developing countries. We discuss possible predisposing factors in cancrum oris such as malnutrition, infectious diseases, HIV infection, and immune compromise conditions. Poverty is the most important risk factor. We report the case of a 6-month-old child with noma and review the characteristic features of this disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Yüzüncü Yil University Faculty of Medicine, Van, Turkey.
authors.forename: Köksal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yuca
authors.forename: Sevil Ari
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Yuca
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cankaya
authors.forename: Hüseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Caksen
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Calka
authors.forename: Muzaffer
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiriş
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009625:Noma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents