TY - JOUR T1 - Infectious oral necrosis (cancrum oris) in Nigerian children: a review. A1 - Enwonwu,C O, PY - 1985/6/1/pubmed PY - 1985/6/1/medline PY - 1985/6/1/entrez SP - 190 EP - 4 JF - Community dentistry and oral epidemiology JO - Community Dent Oral Epidemiol VL - 13 IS - 3 N2 - The devastating orofacial gangrenous disease known as cancrum oris (noma) is still commonly seen in underprivileged Nigerian children. These children are usually victims of such stressors as chronic malnutrition, numerous endemic communicable diseases and severe adverse physical conditions which may lead to depletion of their adaptive resources or produce physiological maladaptation to additional stressors. Measles is the most common infection preceding the development of noma in Nigerian children. Acquired immunodeficiency as well as the impaired endocrine balance of the chronically malnourished permits, for example, widespread infection with the measles virus. Anergy resulting from the combination of malnutrition and measles virus infection promotes selective overgrowth and invasion by an infective consortium consisting of anaerobic organisms and other species capable of elaborating necessary growth factors for the former. Because of the pre-existing depletion of adaptive physiologic resources in the malnourished child, the infection is not readily contained locally as necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis but instead spreads rapidly to the next naturally occurring anatomical barriers. This is then followed by continuing necrosis and possible sequestration as exemplified by noma. SN - 0301-5661 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/2861938/Infectious_oral_necrosis__cancrum_oris__in_Nigerian_children:_a_review_ DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -