title: Survival of child after lion attack.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Injuries to humans caused by attacks from large predators are very rare, especially in the United States, Europe, or Latin America. A few cases were reported on accidents in zoos or animal farms, being very uncommon in children. The purposes of this report include describing the case of a child who sustained an attack by a lion named "Bang-Bang", which resulted in injuries to the head, chest, and abdomen, as well as the subsequent neurosurgical treatment and providing a review of the literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report the case of an 8-year-old boy who was attacked by a lion during a circus show. The patient underwent an emergent neurosurgical procedure, including parietal craniectomy, cleaning, and extensive surgical debridement of the wounds. Despite open severe head trauma with brain damage as well as thorax and abdomen trauma, the child survived, with minimal neurological sequelae.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Human injury resulting from encounters with nondomesticated animals is increasingly rising throughout the world. This case highlights the potentially violent and aggressive nature of wild mammals held in captivity. Unusual wild animal attacks and the complex injuries that result may pose a challenge to surgeons practicing in resource-limited settings. In this sense, the best treatment in the mentioned case is the prevention of human injuries by these animals. In addition, to attend to these infrequent cases, the authors emphasize the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to achieve the best cosmetic and functional results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Japanese University Hospital. Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.
authors.forename: Carlos F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Dabdoub
authors.forename: Carlos B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Dabdoub
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chavez
authors.forename: Felipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Molina
keywords: Big cat attack; head injury; lion bite; trauma