ABSTRACT
Cancrum oris cases are occasionally treated in various hospitals in Kenya. Despite this; none of these cases have been have reported in literature. Besides; no epidemiological or treatment studies of cancrum oris have been carried out in Kenya. The authors report for the first time an unusual case of cancrum oris of a 2 year old Kenyan male which failed to respond to treatment after it was discovered at its early stages before involving the facial skeleton. Since most cancrum oris cases are a sequela of acute necrotizing gingivitis (ANG); prevention of cancrum oris can be achieved by early and prompt remedial measures once a diagnosis of ANG is established. Failure to do this might lead to cancrum oris with its attendant disfiguring complications; some of which might be impossible to treat in developing countries where the requisite personnel is lacking or inadequate