Oral and cranio-maxillofacial trauma in children and adolescents in an emergency setting at a Brazilian hospital

Characteristics of pediatric mandibular condylar fractures in Southwest China: A single-center and 12-year retrospective study

BACKGROUND/AIM

Mandibular condylar fractures in pediatric patients may exhibit distinct epidemiological characteristics attributed to their unique growth and development phase, as well as various anatomical, physiological, biomechanical, and behavioral factors that differentiate them from adults. This study aimed to investigate the demographics, injurious factors, classifications, clinical manifestations, and treatments of pediatric mandibular condylar fractures, as well as the concomitant injuries in maxillofacial and other body parts.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study analyzed the clinical data of 189 pediatric patients with mandibular condylar fractures between 2011 and 2022. Variables investigated included age, gender, timing of onset, causes, classification of condylar fracture, concomitant injuries, clinical manifestations, and treatment modalities.

RESULTS

A total of 189 patients, a higher proportion of boys compared to girls was observed, with the highest incidence rate in children aged 1-3 years. They occurred primarily in July, June, and September as well as on Saturdays and Sundays. The most prevalent cause of mandibular condylar fractures was falls from heights in 73 patients (38.62%). Pediatric patients exhibited a higher susceptibility to condylar head fractures. A significant majority (81.48%) of these fractures were accompanied by soft tissue injuries in the maxillofacial region, with the chin being particularly vulnerable to injury. In addition, 61.90% of pediatric patients experienced fractures in other areas of the maxillofacial region, with the mandibular symphysis being the most commonly affected site. Dental trauma predominantly occurred in the anterior region (44.97%). Notably, a substantial proportion (28.04%) of cases also presented with multiple systemic injuries.

CONCLUSIONS

The characteristics of pediatric mandibular condylar fractures exhibit distinct features in terms of age, gender, timing of onset, etiology, location and type, the presence of concomitant maxillofacial soft/hard tissue injuries and multiple systemic injuries, as well as clinical manifestations and treatment modalities. Therefore, clinicians should pay special attention to the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric condylar fractures.

The importance of the oral and maxillofacial surgery and traumatology team in the diagnosis of a cavernous carotid fistula: Case report

Due to the anatomical proximity between the skull and the face, maxillofacial trauma can often cause injuries to cranial structures. Among these complications are carotid-cavernous fistulas (CCF), which are rare in maxillofacial trauma, although their etiology is usually traumatic. They are described as an atypical communication between the internal carotid artery and the cavernous sinus, which can generate a sudden change in the direction and distribution of blood flow between the brain and orbit. This paper aims to report a case of craniomaxillofacial trauma in which the patient evolved with diplopia, palpebral ptosis, and ophthalmoplegia of the left eye, diagnosed as traumatic CCF. The oral and maxillofacial surgery and traumatology team of the University Hospital of Western Paraná was observed these symptoms for the first time during post-operative follow-up after one day of surgery to repair mandibular fractures of the patient in question. With the identifying the signs and symptoms, a neurosurgery was requested for assessment and management. After clinical evaluation and imaging tests, they diagnosed the condition as CCF 5 days after the mandibular fractures and the patient was referred for treatment. Surgery was performed, in the same day, to resolve the CCF with the endovascularly by embolization with micromoles. The CCF was resolved and the patient continued on outpatient follow-up, progressing without sequelae from the CCF or mandibular fractures.

Oral and maxillofacial emergencies: A retrospective study of 5220 cases in West China

BACKGROUND/AIM

There are no epidemiological reports focused on the oral and maxillofacial surgery emergency department in the West China Hospital of Stomatology. The aim of this study was to analyse the epidemiological characteristics of emergency patients admitted for Trauma and Plastic Surgery Department of the West China Hospital of Stomatology from 2016-2019.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this retrospective study, 5220 patients with complete medical records were evaluated. The following data were collected: gender, age, etiology, disease type distribution, anatomic injury site and treatment modality.

RESULTS

There were 3046 males and 2174 females (ratio 1.40:1), with an average age of 16.2 years. The largest group was children aged between 3 and 6 years old (28.3%). Maxillofacial injuries were the most common condition (87.3%), which mostly occurred on the forehead (29.7%), followed by the lips (27.8%). A fall was the leading cause of injury (59.9%), especially in patients younger than 6 years old. There were 327 cases of maxillofacial space infections (MSI), and the mandibular third molars were the most common tooth associated with odontogenic infections (36.2%). Univariable analysis identified that multiple-space infection, visit time and systemic conditions were the risk factors for being admitted to the hospital for treatment. There were 116 patients (2.2%) with bleeding as the main complaint, and most of the maxillofacial bleeding patients could be stopped by compression (52.6%).

CONCLUSION

Males and children aged younger than 6 years were the highest risk populations. Trauma accounted for the majority of emergency patients in maxillofacial surgery. Most maxillofacial injuries involved the forehead and were mainly caused by accidental falls. The proportion of MSI was not high, but serious cases may be life-threatening. The causes of bleeding were diverse, and the bleeding was easy to control.

Evaluation of the SEVERITY of FACIAL and GENERAL TRAUMA in child and adolescent victims of traffic accidents

•Evaluation of the FISS and TRISS SpO2 to obtain greater rigor in a standardized epidemiological profile of injury severity.•More accurate determination of trauma severity in child and adolescent victims of traffic accidents for improved urgency and emergency care.•Relation between the scales allows for better decisions on patient hospitalization, adequate treatment and the prevention of irreversible injuries.

Pattern of oral and maxillofacial trauma and associated factors: An 8-year prospective study

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Oral and maxillofacial trauma (OMFT) is a public health problem due to its high occurrence and demand for resources for its management and the financial and social impact of OMFT victims on the health system. The aim of this study was to conduct an 8-year prospective analysis of OMFT cases from an emergency service.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A hospital-based 8-year prospective study on OMFT and associated factors was performed on data from December 2011 to December 2019. Data regarding sociodemographic (gender, age, and skin color) and socio-economic profiles (educational level, family income, and occupation), OMFT profile (etiology, OMFT type, and treatment), associated factors [alcohol consumption and personal protective equipment (PPE) use], OMFT occurrence (injury day and hour), length of hospital stay, and cost were collected. Descriptive and inferential analyses of data were performed.

RESULTS

Most OMFT cases involved men with low schooling and family income, resulting from traffic accidents. OMFT severity was associated with longer hospital stay, higher hospital costs and nonuse of PPE, midface fractures (mainly orbital-zygomatic fractures), closed reduction, and open reduction/internal fixation. Traffic accidents were the main cause of longer hospital stays for victims aged 41-60 years with better socio-economic status compared with cases that had higher hospital costs. In general, higher hospital costs were associated with victims of violence under 40 years of age, with low schooling and farmers. Alcohol consumption and non-use of PPE also contributed to increasing the length of hospital stay.

CONCLUSION

Oral and maxillofacial trauma severity was associated with longer hospital stay and higher hospital costs. Associated factors such as alcohol consumption and non-use of PPE contributed to increase the length of hospital stay and OMFT severity.

Characteristics and age-related injury patterns of maxillofacial fractures in children and adolescents: A multicentric and prospective study

Background/Aims

Paediatric maxillofacial trauma accounts for 15% of all maxillofacial trauma but remains a leading cause of mortality. The aim of this prospective, multicentric epidemiological study was to analyse the characteristics of maxillofacial fractures in paediatric patients managed in 14 maxillofacial surgery departments on five continents over a 1‐year period.

Methods

The following data were collected: age (preschool [0–6 years], school age [7–12 years], and adolescent [13–18 years]), cause and mechanism of the maxillofacial fracture, alcohol and/or drug abuse at the time of trauma, fracture site, Facial Injury Severity Scale score, associated injuries, day of the maxillofacial trauma, timing and type of treatment, and length of hospitalization. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software.

Results

Between 30 September 2019 and 4 October 2020, 322 patients (male:female ratio, 2.3:1) aged 0–18 years (median age, 15 years) were hospitalized with maxillofacial trauma. The most frequent causes of the trauma were road traffic accidents (36%; median age, 15 years), followed by falls (24%; median age, 8 years) and sports (21%; median age, 14 years). Alcohol and/or drug abuse was significantly associated with males (p < .001) and older age (p < .001). Overall, 474 fractures were observed (1.47 per capita). The most affected site was the mandibular condyle in children <13 years old and the nose in adolescents. The proportion of patients who underwent open reduction and internal fixation increased with age (p < .001).

Conclusion

The main cause of paediatric maxillofacial fractures was road traffic accidents, with the highest rates seen in African and Asian centres, and the frequency of such fractures increased with age. Falls showed an inverse association with age and were the leading cause of trauma in children 0–6 years of age. The choice of treatment varies with age, reflecting anatomical and etiological changes towards patterns more similar to those seen in adulthood.

Extension of a novel diagnostic index to include soft tissue injuries: Modified Eden Baysal Dental Trauma Index

AIM

Accurate records of traumatic dental injuries are important for clinical management and data collection for research. Soft tissue injuries often accompany dental trauma and should be appropriately recorded. The Eden Baysal Dental Trauma Index (EBDTI) provides an easy recording system of useful information about traumatic dental injuries on a tooth basis. The aim of this study was to extend the EBDTI index to record soft tissue injuries in a concise format and to approve the face and content validity of this version as the modified EBDTI (MEBDTI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An extension to EBDTI was developed by adding superscript numbers from 0 to 8 to represent soft tissue injuries related to dental trauma. The Rand e-Delphi method was used to evaluate this version of the index. A definition and two statements about the index were sent to 15 international panel experts to be assessed independently on a 9-point Likert scale where 1 represented "total disagreement," and 9 indicated "total agreement." The panel needed to reach a 75% consensus for validation. A numerical code was suggested using zero to depict no soft tissue injury; 1-4 to record extra-oral injuries; and 5-8 to record intra-oral injuries (for example, gingiva, frenulum, and palate). Traumatic dental injury of the tooth/teeth is recorded using EBDTI in square brackets, and soft tissue codes are used as superscript numbers outside the brackets on a patient basis.

RESULTS

The panel reached a consensus on the definition (86.7%) and two statements (86.7% and 93.3%) in one round. Various cases are presented to demonstrate the application of the index.

CONCLUSION

The Modified Eden Baysal Dental Trauma Index was developed to record soft tissue. injuries on a patient basis and was approved for face and content validity.

Epidemiology of maxillofacial soft tissue injuries in an oral emergency department in Beijing: A two-year retrospective study

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Maxillofacial soft tissue injuries (STIs) may differ in epidemiological characteristics from other maxillofacial injuries. The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of maxillofacial STIs in a public oral emergency department in Beijing, China, from 2017 to 2018.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In this retrospective study, 5949 patients with maxillofacial STIs and complete medical records were evaluated. Gender, age, etiology, visit date and time, interval between accident and treatment, anatomic injury site, treatment modality, and the number of associated maxillofacial bone fractures or tooth injuries were analyzed.

RESULT

There were 3831 males and 2118 females (ratio 1.81:1). Patients younger than 10 years were the most frequently seen group (44.2%). Among adults, 20- to 29-years-old (16.2%) was the most prominent age group. The month of May (11.8%) had the highest incidence of maxillofacial STIs, and February (4.5%) had the lowest incidence. The average number of daily visits was significantly higher on holidays than on workdays. Of the 5949 patients, 45.9% attended at night, 2021 patients had dental trauma, and 31 had jaw fractures. The lips were the most common site of STIs, followed by the chin and gingiva. Lip and gingival STIs were more common in the 0- to 10-years-old group. Chin STIs were more common in the 20- to 39-years-old group. A fall was the leading cause of injury, especially in patients younger than 10 years and older than 70 years. Approximately 56.7% of the falls resulted in injuries to the lower one-third of the face. Sports injuries were more common among 10- to 29-years-old individuals.

CONCLUSION

STIs of the maxillofacial region were most likely to occur at night, in May and during holidays. Males, children younger than 10 years and 20- to 29-years-old adults were high-risk populations. Most maxillofacial STIs involved the lips, and one-third of the patients had dental trauma.