Facial and craniofacial trauma: epidemiology, experience and treatment / Trauma facial e craniofacial: epidemiologia, experiência e tratamento

RESUMO

Various factors related to living in today's society, make facial trauma an unavoidable subject for the otorhinolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon, due to its increasing frequency and the medical and legal importnace of its management. This paper gives a view in perspective of the authors' experience through 200 cases of facial and craniofacial trauma. Nasal trauma, by far the most frequent among facial lesions of traumatic origin, as well as mandibular fractures, are not included in this presentation. All the cases are from the authors'private in a city. San Miguel de Tucumán, located at the Northwest of Argentina. It is a city of about 600 thousand inhabitants; main city of a state fairly industrialized. It most important resources come from agriculture, commerce and some industrial activities, especially those linked with the derivates of the sugar cane. Violent sports, such as rugby, and the increasing violence characteristic of a society with socio-economic troubles, are all factors that contribute to depict an image in which trauma, in all its forms, is a common occurence. The authors' experience is considered taking into account epidemiologic, etiologic and the pathologic concers. Treatment modalities employed, results, complications, and sequelae are discussed