Horse Bite Injury to the Lip – A Case Report

Abstract

Background: Bite injuries to the face are commonly caused by pets and humans. Bite injury by horse is uncommon. A case of horse bite injury and its management is reported.
Patient and method: A 12-year-old boy sustained a full-thickness avulsion injury to the lower lip following a bite by a horse. The lip was reconstructed at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana, within 48 hours of injury under general anaesthesia , using a local flap. The patient had a full course of Amoxicillin and metronidazole, postoperatively.
Results: Healing was uneventful and both the functional and cosmetic outcomes were satisfactory.
Conclusion: Horse bite is a rare but a potentially serious injury, especially following provocation of the animal. Children should be properly supervised when they are handling the animal.


Keywords: Animal bite; horse bite; human bite; local flaps

African Journal of Paediatric Surgery Vol. 3 (1) 2006: pp. 43-44