DOI: 10.36347/sasjs.2023.v09i10.003

Pages: 842-846

The impact of the media and security crises (rebellions, acts of terrorism, intercommunity conflicts) on children often results in the practical reproduction of what they see and hear. Anterior penetrating injuries to the neck pose a life-threatening situation and the causes vary among countries around the world. They include stab wounds, gunshot wounds, vehicle accident injuries, and neck lacerations. They pose a great challenge to treating surgeons because of the important structures in the neck that can be affected. We report a case of knife slitting of a child by one of his classmates during a simulation game in a conflict zone in central Mali. A 5-year-old boy was cut in the throat by a 9-year-old friend with a knife. According to the patient's father who testified, the cut was committed in the play area where the oldest friend placed the patient in a supine position and then cut him in the throat with a knife; as if to imitate adults. On exploration, the lesion assessment found an anterior cervical wound which was horizontal with linear borders located between the sternocleidomastoid muscles without damage to them and the large vessels. A partial section of the esophagus and trachea was noted. There was no neurological or cervical spine involvement on X-ray. Laryngo -tracheal repair with two control tractor wires and then orotracheal re-intubation; Finally a suture of the sternothyroid muscles and skin closure. The postoperative course was simple. Penetrating trauma is rare in children, their management is a challenge. They are serious and put the patient's vital prognosis at stake.