Dog bite- fracture of the mandible in a 9 month old infant: a case report

BACKGROUND: We present the case of a fractured mandible due to a dog bite in a 9 month old female. Dog bites in this age group are rare as are fractured mandibles. There are only two reported cases of fractured mandibles due to dog bites in the literature. This is the youngest. The other reported cases were in a 1 year old and also in a 4 year old. CASE PRESENTATION: A 9 month old female was brought by her parents to the Emergency Department after sustaining a dog bit to the face. This was assessed by the emergency physicians and deemed to be superficial. The patients wounds were irrigated, and she was given oral antibiotics. She was transferred to our department were she was assessed under anaesthetic. A fracture of her mandible was discovered and treated with open reduction and internal fixation. CONCLUSION: The case presentation highlights the important of proper assessment of facial lacerations for not only neurovascular status and the parotid duct, but also the hard tissues. The case also highlights the difficulty of treating children and infants with fractures of the mandible and the importance of follow-up to monitor growth.