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Case Study: Cancrum oris (noma) in a malnourished HIV-positive child from rural Kwazulu-Natal


D Rowe
N McKerrow
A Uys
T Winstanley

Abstract

Cancrum oris (noma – derived from the Greek nomein, ‘to devour\') is an infectious disease with a fulminating course that destroys the oro-facial tissues and other neighbouring structures.1 Although cancrum oris can occur at any age, it is most commonly in malnourished children between the ages of 1 and 5 years whose general health has been further weakened by some infectious disease, usually measles but also tuberculosis, gastro-enteritis, typhoid, whooping cough, or malignant disease such as leukaemia. The possible relevance to HIV has not been fully investigated. This report details a case presenting to East Griqualand and Usher Memorial Hospital, Kokstad, KwaZulu-Natal.

Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine Vol. 5 (3) 2004: 45-46

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eISSN: 2078-6751
print ISSN: 1608-9693