Reconstructive surgery in cancrum oris : a new problem in a Nigerian setting.

This highly informative film shows detailed footage of Nigerian children whose faces have, in some cases, been devastated by the disease cancrum oris. Due to advances in medicine, few children die from this condition but their survival necessitates facial reconstructive surgery to enable a reasonable quality of life. The film contains close-up footage of the condition, its treatment and subsequent reconstructive surgery. The results of the surgery are extraordinary given the conditions, the amount of affected children and the surgeon's ethos to 'relieve the major disabilities of the many rather than concentrate on the details of the few.'