CANCRUM ORIS

Cancrum oris is a gangrenous infection of the oral cavity. Debilitating diseases predispose to the condition. The exact bacteriology is uncertain although Vincent's Spirochacte and the fusiform bacillus in symbiosis have been considered to be the actual cause of the condition. The presentation of the disease is variable, for the condition may affect the soft tissues of the face or the bones of the facial skeleton or both concurrently. This disease has a high mortality rate. If recovery from toxaemia ensues, subsequent healing becomes a lengthy affair because of the destructive nature of the condition. Since the introduction of antibiotics as a form of therapy, a higher survival rate has been achieved. Because of the nature of the condition the morbidity rate is exceptionally high with functional disturbances and disfigurement being a legacy of the disease. Reconstructive procedures are generally required at some subsequent stage. © 1979 Georg Thieme Publishers.