Presentation and management of maxillofacial trauma in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Objective: To describe the presentation and management of maxillofacial trauma.
Design: A retrospective study.
Setting: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Subjects: Patients presenting with maxillofacial trauma at the oral and maxillofacial surgery department of the MNH over a six year period (2001-2007).
Method: Information was gathered including age, gender, length of interval between injury and presentation to the hospital, aetiology, pattern of soft tissue injury and fractures, therapy, co-morbidity, complications and number of hospitalisation days.
Results: The 21-30-year old age group was most affected. The overall male to female ratio was 4.3:1. The major cause of maxillofacial trauma was road traffic accidents (42.3%), followed by assaults (39.1%). Over 90% of the patients sustained soft tissue injuries, with cut wounds seen most frequently (45.0%). Of the soft tissue injuries, 75% required surgical intervention. Most of the fractures were located in the mandible (52.8%). Accompanying injuries elsewhere in the body occurred in 51.5%. Complications occurred in 13.3% of the cases. The mean hospitalisation period was 4.3 days.
Conclusion: Road traffic accidents and assaults were the most common causes of maxillofacial trauma. Males below forty years of age were the majority of the victims.