Amina N., 7

Amina is a 7 year old female child who is staying with her parents, she is not currently in any school because the family cannot send her due to financial challenges. The father farms out of which he manages to feed the family and aged parents. They live in an extended setting with 4 rooms congested, they use pit latrine, access to a well, no electricity, monthly income is 10,000. Amina sustained flame burns one year ago and was treated in a peripheral hospital. When the wound healed, she was left with scars holding her thighs together across her external genitalia and also extending to the lower abdomen. This stops her from walking freely and distorted her external genitalia. Amina presented with multiple perineal and lower abdominal post-burn scars with adduction contracture of the hip joints. She was diagnosed with Severe Postburn perineal contracture with unstable thigh scar, and there is also broad scar over the mons pubis distorting the external genitalia.

The patient has severe post-burn perineal contracture with unstable thigh scars resulting in functional impairment and increased risk of recurrent ulceration and infection. The condition is to benefit from reconstructive surgery, scar release, and comprehensive physiotherapy. This scar can prevent Amina from walking, it can continue to breakdown after healing leading to a form of cancer called Marjolein’s ulcer, it can also affect her sexual performance as a woman. Prognosis depends on the extent of scarring, wound healing, and adherence to rehabilitation, but functional improvement is achievable with appropriate management. The condition is however amenable through surgery which is going to be life changing to the child.