Mucormycosis
Mucormycosis (phycomycosis) is infection caused by a fungus of the group Mucorales.
Mucormycosis is caused by inhalation of spores. It most commonly affects the nose and brain (rhinocerebral mucormycosis) and is a severe and potentially fatal infection. This form of mucormycosis typically affects people whose immune system is weakened by disease, such as uncontrolled diabetes. The other common site of infection is the lung. Rarely, the skin and digestive system are involved.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
The symptoms of rhinocerebral mucormycosis include pain, fever, and an infection of the eye socket (orbital cellulitis) with a bulging of the affected eye (proptosis). Pus is discharged from the nose. The roof of the mouth (palate), the facial bones surrounding the eye socket or sinuses, or the divider between the nostrils (septum) may be destroyed by the infection. Infection in the brain may cause seizures, partial paralysis, and coma.
Mucormycosis in the lungs causes fever, cough, and sometimes breathing difficulty.
Because the symptoms of mucormycosis can resemble those of other infections, a doctor may not be able to diagnose it immediately. Usually the diagnosis is made when a doctor sees the organism in tissue samples and grows it in culture.
Prognosis and Treatment
A person with mucormycosis generally is treated with amphotericin B given intravenously or injected directly into the spinal fluid. Infected tissue may be removed by surgery. In people with diabetes, blood sugar levels are brought down to within the normal range. The disease is very serious, and many people die.
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