Swellings ruin girl’s face
May 10, 2005
<br>Santa Angom could never have imagined a world so cruel. On August 25, 2000, in Alero Internally Displaced People’s camp, she gave birth to a baby girl.
By Carol Natukunda
and Tony Langalanga
Santa Angom could never have imagined a world so cruel. On August 25, 2000, in Alero Internally Displaced People’s camp, she gave birth to a baby girl.
However, four days later, the healthy looking girl started bleeding heavily through the nose.
She was taken to Anaka Hospital, but the bleeding took long to stop. Then the baby’s face began to swell.
“We were admitted to Lacor Hospital in Gulu for two years. I failed to raise money for food and hospital bills, so I returned to the camp,†Angom said.
Angom swallows with difficulty as she recounts the fate of her now four-year-old daughter, Consy Acaa.
Acaa is traumatised. Her face is covered with scars, which have distorted her appearance.
Since other children in the camp fear to play with her, Acaa keeps to her mother’s side most of the time.
She keeps on turning her head away from people to avoid being looked at.
What is the sickness?
Dr. Edison Babigamba of Kim Medical Centre says the girl could be suffering from a congenital disease. These are hereditary diseases a child is born with and symptoms show a few days later.
“It could be a nerve disease called neurofibromatosis, leprosy or even congenital syphilis,†Babigamba says.
Neurofibromatosis is a genetic disease characterised by the formation of neurofibromas, sometimes accompanied by physical deformation and a predisposition to brain tumours and various forms of cancer. It affects about one out of 2,500-3,300 live births, regardless of race, sex, or ethnic background.
Other congenial diseases that eat away the body in such a way are wegener’s granulomatosis, lichen lupus and yaws.
Babigamba says such diseases are rare.
“At least one out of a hundred people could be born with such an infection,†he says.
Causes
Babigamba says mothers may transmit such diseases to children. But it may also be due to gene translocation. Sometimes the cause may be unknown or idiomatic.
Symptoms
Common symptoms include acute, sudden, painful or severe facial swelling that keeps on getting worse.
Others include nasal bleeding, poor or double vision, nasal speech, difficulty in breathing and swallowing, lip swelling, disfigurement and general depression of the patient.
Treatment
A thorough investigation should include a biopsy, histological tests and blood check up.
The treatment is frequent courses of antibiotics and surgical debridement of infections if the swellings don’t go.
“Grafting or excision might also be necessary,†Babigamba says.
He says for cosmetic reasons, the patient would need a plastic surgeon. The cost is likely to be more than sh1.5m.
Second opinion
However, Dr. Herbert Mugarura of Middle East Hospital in Bugolobi says cancer should not be ruled out until proper diagnosis is made.
“Lupus Carcinoma or Leprosy Carcinoma may be investigated at Lacor Hospital or Cancer Institute in Mulago,†he says.
He adds that, “If it is cancer, surgery can be fatal. Radiotherapy or chemotherapy would help. After which a skin specialist or cosmotologist would be needed. It is difficult to predict the cost without knowing the disease first. But it is not likely to be cheap.â€
Ends
and Tony Langalanga
Santa Angom could never have imagined a world so cruel. On August 25, 2000, in Alero Internally Displaced People’s camp, she gave birth to a baby girl.
However, four days later, the healthy looking girl started bleeding heavily through the nose.
She was taken to Anaka Hospital, but the bleeding took long to stop. Then the baby’s face began to swell.
“We were admitted to Lacor Hospital in Gulu for two years. I failed to raise money for food and hospital bills, so I returned to the camp,†Angom said.
Angom swallows with difficulty as she recounts the fate of her now four-year-old daughter, Consy Acaa.
Acaa is traumatised. Her face is covered with scars, which have distorted her appearance.
Since other children in the camp fear to play with her, Acaa keeps to her mother’s side most of the time.
She keeps on turning her head away from people to avoid being looked at.
What is the sickness?
Dr. Edison Babigamba of Kim Medical Centre says the girl could be suffering from a congenital disease. These are hereditary diseases a child is born with and symptoms show a few days later.
“It could be a nerve disease called neurofibromatosis, leprosy or even congenital syphilis,†Babigamba says.
Neurofibromatosis is a genetic disease characterised by the formation of neurofibromas, sometimes accompanied by physical deformation and a predisposition to brain tumours and various forms of cancer. It affects about one out of 2,500-3,300 live births, regardless of race, sex, or ethnic background.
Other congenial diseases that eat away the body in such a way are wegener’s granulomatosis, lichen lupus and yaws.
Babigamba says such diseases are rare.
“At least one out of a hundred people could be born with such an infection,†he says.
Causes
Babigamba says mothers may transmit such diseases to children. But it may also be due to gene translocation. Sometimes the cause may be unknown or idiomatic.
Symptoms
Common symptoms include acute, sudden, painful or severe facial swelling that keeps on getting worse.
Others include nasal bleeding, poor or double vision, nasal speech, difficulty in breathing and swallowing, lip swelling, disfigurement and general depression of the patient.
Treatment
A thorough investigation should include a biopsy, histological tests and blood check up.
The treatment is frequent courses of antibiotics and surgical debridement of infections if the swellings don’t go.
“Grafting or excision might also be necessary,†Babigamba says.
He says for cosmetic reasons, the patient would need a plastic surgeon. The cost is likely to be more than sh1.5m.
Second opinion
However, Dr. Herbert Mugarura of Middle East Hospital in Bugolobi says cancer should not be ruled out until proper diagnosis is made.
“Lupus Carcinoma or Leprosy Carcinoma may be investigated at Lacor Hospital or Cancer Institute in Mulago,†he says.
He adds that, “If it is cancer, surgery can be fatal. Radiotherapy or chemotherapy would help. After which a skin specialist or cosmotologist would be needed. It is difficult to predict the cost without knowing the disease first. But it is not likely to be cheap.â€
Ends