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Updated: Jun 28, 2026
Neonatal Pial Surface Electroporation
Published on: May 7, 2014
[Perioral electrical burn in children: case report]
Mustafa Keskin1, Zekeriya Tosun, Ahmet Duymaz
1Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Selçuk University Meram Medical Faculty, Konya, Turkey. mkeskin@selcuk.edu.tr
Insights
Perioral electrical burns in infants, often from biting cords, cause significant deformities. Reconstruction using nasolabial flaps offers functional and aesthetic restoration for these rare injuries.
Area of Science:
- Plastic Surgery
- Pediatric Burns
- Reconstructive Surgery
Background:
- Perioral electrical burns are uncommon household injuries, typically affecting children under three years old.
- These injuries result from biting electrical cords, leading to functional and aesthetic impairments.
Observation:
- An eleven-month-old infant sustained a severe perioral electrical burn after biting a television cable.
- The burn affected 60% of the lower lip, mentum, left oral commissure, tongue, and floor of the mouth.
- Necrotic tissue separation and labial artery bleeding occurred on the eighth day post-injury.
Findings:
- A reconstructive approach utilized an inferior-based nasolabial flap for the extensive lower lip defect.
- The flap's mucosa was adapted to reconstruct the lower lip vermillion, addressing both form and function.
Implications:
- This case highlights the principles and reconstructive options for managing complex perioral electrical burns in infants.
- Effective reconstruction is crucial for restoring function and aesthetics, improving patient outcomes.
Abstract:
Perioral electrical burns are rarely seen household injuries that cause both functional and aesthetic deformities requiring special consideration for reconstruction. The cause is usually a child younger than 3 years old biting an electrical cord. An eleven-month-old girl admitted to the emergency room with perioral electrical burn after biting an electrical cable of a television. Her burn area included 60% of the lower lip, down to the mentum, and including left commissure, distal part of the tongue and the floor of the mouth. On the 8th day following the burn, the burned necrotic tissues separated from the healthy living tissues and a bleeding from the labial artery was observed. To reconstruct the lip defect, an inferior-based nasolabial flap from the lateral side was used. The mucosa of the flap was dissected and advanced to form the lower lip vermillion. With this case presentation, the principles and options for perioral electrical burns are presented.
