Facial fractures may be associated with concomitant lesions of other parts of body with some of these injuries being life-threatening. This retrospective study reports the types of associated injury and the factors influencing their occurrence, in patients with facial fractures. In 18.2% of 604 patients, one associated injury at least was recorded. The most common associated injury was cranial trauma (9.9%), followed by limbs fractures (9.1%), chest trauma (2%), spine injury (0.5%) and eye ball rupture (0.5%). A poly trauma was recorded in 3.2% of the patients who had sustained a cerebral trauma, a spinal injury or a thoracic trauma. Death occurred in two patients (0.3%) who had respectively a spinal injury and a chest trauma. The occurrence of associated injuries correlated significantly with the fracture type with solitary mandibular fracture being a significant predictor of associated injuries. Although not statistically significant, multiple facial fractures and violence were more associated with concomitant injuries. The findings of this study recall the need for initial full examination of the trauma patients particularly victims of violence, patients presenting with multiple facial fractures or single facial bone fracture involving the mandible, the trauma patients? multidisciplinary management as well as trauma prevention.

Melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy (MNTI), an uncommon neoplasm that involves predominantly the maxilla, is classically benign but clinically aggressive. Surgery is the mainstay of the treatment with a proven efficacy, but its optimal method is not entirely clear. A case of maxillary MNTI in a 4-month-old male infant treated by radical surgery without recurrence after more than 3 years of follow-up is presented. On the basis of this experience and a review of the literature, the optimal method of MNTI surgery is discussed. To improve the prognostic of this neoplasm, the role of conservative surgery should be limited to the treatment of tumors where clear surgical margins excision should require sacrifice of functional or vital structures.

Introduction: Interpersonal violence (IPV) has emerged as a worldwide health problem affecting predominantly the face. Patients and methods: This study reports the characteristics of violence, victims and injuries in IPV-related facial injuries patients, in a 10-year survey, in a tertiary hospital of Burkina Faso. Results: Patients’ age ranged from 11 to 75 years (mean 31 years) and 58.2% of the patients were aged between 20 and 39 years. There were 74 males and females 24 giving a male-to-female ratio of 3.1:1. The circumstances of injuries were brawls (80.6%) consisting mostly in facial blows, and hold-ups (19.4%). Fractures involving predominantly the mandible or the zygomatic complex were the most common injury, accounting for 53.2%. Soft tissues injuries accounted for 37.2% and dental trauma for 9.2%. In 27.5% of the patients, extra facial injuries were encountered, dominated by cerebral trauma and limb fractures. Conclusion: In this study, IPV-related facial injuries are mostly mandibular or zygomatic fractures in young and males adults involved in brawls. These findings command strategies for prevention of violence in this specific group.

The findings of this study commend comprehensive ophthalmologic evaluation in any patient with an orbit wall fracture.

Background Burkitt lymphoma is frequent a cancer in the developing countries where its treatment is based on non‐intensive chemotherapy protocols. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness and the toxicity of a non–intensive chemotherapy protocol combining cyclophosphamide and methotrexate in children with Burkitt lymphoma of the maxillofacial region. Procedure A retrospective descriptive study was carried out in patients with Burkitt lymphoma of maxillofacial region who received at least one weekly treatment with intravenous cyclophosphamide and methotrexate between 1999 and 2006 in a university teaching hospital in Burkina Faso. The demographic characteristics of the patients, the effectiveness and the toxicity of the treatment were recorded. Results A total of 58 patients were included. The mean age was 7.2 years. According to Murphy's staging, 28 patients (48%) were at stage I, 18 (31%) at stage II, 11 (19%) at stage III and 1 (2%) at stage IV. Among 28 patients who received all the cycles of the protocol, 21 (75%) achieved complete remission, 6 (21%) had partial remission and 1 (4%) had progressive disease. The major complications during the treatment were febrile leucopenia and anemia. The mortality rate was 19% (11/58). Conclusion Non‐intensive chemotherapy protocol with cyclophosphamide and methotrexate could be an alternative to intensive chemotherapy protocols for the management of the stage I–III endemic Burkitt lymphoma in developing countries. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2011;56:1068–1070. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.