Five cases of rhinocerebral mucormycosis

A retrospective analysis for the management of oromaxillofacial invasive mucormycosis and systematic literature review

PURPOSE

Mucormycosis is a type of fatal infectious disease, rarely involved in the oromaxillofacial region. This study aimed to describe a series of 7 cases with oromaxillofacial mucormycosis and to discuss the epidemiology, clinical features, and treatment algorithm thereof.

METHODOLOGY

Seven patients in the author's affiliation have been treated. They were assessed and presented as per their diagnostic criteria, surgical approach, and mortality rates. Reported cases of mucormycosis originally happened in craniomaxillofacial region were synthesized through a systematic review so as to better discuss its pathogenesis, epidemiology, and management.

RESULTS

Six patients had a primary metabolic disorder, and one immunocompromised patient had a history of aplastic anemia. The criteria for a positive diagnosis of invasive mucormycosis were based on clinical presentation of signs and symptoms, and a biopsy for microbiological culture and histopathologic analysis. Each patient used antifungal drugs and five of them also underwent surgical resection at the same time. Four patients died due to the unregulated spread of mucormycosis, and one patient died owing to her main disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Although uncommon in clinical practice setting, mucormycosis should be of great concern in oral and maxillofacial surgery, due to the life-threatening possibility of this disease. The knowledge of early diagnosis and prompt treatment is of utmost importance for saving lives.

Postextraction Mucormycosis in Immunocompromised-Patient Management and Review of Literature

PURPOSE

Mucormycosis is an uncommon aggressive, opportunistic infection that can produce widespread orofacial tissue necrosis. This primarily affects immunocompromised individuals. It is the deadliest and most rapidly progressing type of human-affecting fungal infection. The aim of the study is to investigate the diagnostic criteria and treatment approach in 10 cases of mucormycosis in the author's institute from 2008 to 2019. Moreover, a review of the English literature presents all cases of mucormycosis after tooth extraction.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ten patients at our institute have been treated. They were evaluated and discussed as per their diagnostic criteria, surgical treatment, and mortality rates.

RESULTS

All 10 immunocompromised patients had a primary hematologic malignancy. The criteria for a positive diagnosis were clinical symptoms and a biopsy for microbiological culture and histologic analysis. Each patient was subjected to vigorous surgical resection and underwent antifungal treatment. Seven patients died because of their main disease. Owing to the unregulated spread of mucormycosis, 2 patients died. Four cases were diagnosed after maxillary tooth extraction.

CONCLUSIONS

The most important factor for patient survival tends to be the management of the underlying disease with early detection and active surgical and antifungal action. Four of 10 cases diagnosed with mucormycosis appeared after tooth extraction, a relatively high number compared with the literature. Therefore, it is the dental profession's obligation to be familiar with the possibility of the potentially severe and possibly fatal complication.

Rhinomaxillary mucormycosis with cerebral extension

Mucormycosis is a rare opportunistic infection caused by fungus belonging to the order Mucorales. A case of a controlled diabetic male with rhino maxillary mucormycosis, with cerebral extension, is described. The patient presented with hemifacial swelling, a nasal twang in his voice, fever, ocular signs, gross tissue destruction, and was sluggish. Early recognition of mucormycosis is necessary to limit the spread of infection, which can lead to high morbidity and mortality. Therefore, health practitioners should be familiar with the signs and symptoms of the disease.

[The subcutaneous mucormycosis due to Lichtheimia corymbifera: A case report in an immunocompetent child]

Mucormycosis due to Lichtheimia (ex Absidia) corymbifera is a rare fungal infection, occurring most often in an environment of immune deficiency, rarely in an immunocompetent patient. It comes in different clinical forms, frequently misleading, hence the interest of a pathological and mycological examination that allows the diagnosis of certainty. The management of this condition should be introduced early because it affects the functional prognosis of the patient. In this study, the authors report a case of mucormycosis in a 10-year-old child, and with clinical immunocompetent less severe than the cases reported in the literature.

Management and outcomes of three cases of rhinocerebral mucormycosis

Mucormycosis is a rare opportunistic infection caused by fungi belonging to Mucorales order. The infection usually starts in the middle or inferior nasal meatus and then spreads to the paranasal sinuses and the orbit. Then it reaches the brain through the ethmoid and the orbit apex and can lead to lethargy, paralysis, and death. The majority of cases of rhinocerebral mucormycosis are diagnosed in patients with immunologic and metabolic disorders. Early diagnosis is fundamental, and so is medical therapy with amphotericin B along with surgical toilet of the compromised tissues. This article presents and discusses the management of 3 cases of rhinocerebral mucormycosis with different onsets, progressions, and outcomes.

A case of successfully treated rhinocerebral mucormycosis: dental implications

This paper presents a case of rhinocerebral mucormycosis in a 22-year-old female patient with type I diabetes mellitus, who was successfully treated with surgery and long-term antifungal medication. The patient had initially been submitted to extraction of an upper third molar by a general dental practitioner but was referred to our department three days postoperatively because of double vision. Immediately following histopathological confirmation of the infection, the patient was administered Amphotericin B and Posaconazole intravenously. Surgical excision of the affected site was relatively conservative. The patient was free of the disease 15 months after initial admission to the hospital and has recently returned for reconstruction. The aim of this paper is to increase the awareness of general dental practitioners regarding uncommon serious conditions in diabetic patients, which may be confused with periodontal or dental diseases.

Orbitomaxillary mucormycosis (zygomycosis) and the surgical approach to treatment: perspectives from a maxillofacial surgeon

Rhinocerebral or rhino-orbitocerebral (mucormycosis) zygomycosis (ROCZ) usually occurs among patients with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus (especially those with ketoacidosis), solid malignancies, iron overload or extensive burns, in patients undergoing treatment with glucocorticosteroid agents, or in patients with neutropenia related to haematologic malignancies. The disease process starts with inhalation of the fungus into the paranasal sinuses. The fungus may spread to invade the palate, sphenoid sinus, cavernous sinus, orbits or cranially to invade the brain. Pain and swelling precede oral ulceration and the resulting tissue necrosis can result in palatal perforation. Infection can sometimes extend from the sinuses into the mouth and produce painful, necrotic ulcerations of the hard palate. If untreated, infection usually spreads from the ethmoid sinus to the orbit, resulting in the loss of extraocular muscle function and proptosis. Surgical treatment includes the resection of involved tissues of the face, including skin and muscle, any skin of the nose that is involved, maxillary and ethmoid sinuses, necrotic tissue of the temporal area and infratemporal fossa, and orbital exenteration. The keys to successful therapy include suspicion of the diagnosis and early recognition of the signs and symptoms, correction of underlying medical disorders such as ketoacidosis, and aggressive medical and surgical intervention.

Rhinocerebral mucormycosis in patients without predisposing medical conditions: a review of the literature

Rhinocerebral mucormycosis is a rare disease, affecting almost exclusively patients with known predisposing conditions such as diabetes mellitus, immunocompromised status, haemochromatosis or major trauma. Subsequent to a case of rhinocerebral mucormycosis in a 78-year-old woman without any known risk factor, we reviewed the published English-language literature and found an additional 72 cases. Reviewing all the published case series of mucormycosis involving any site, the proportion of apparently normal hosts among cases of rhinocerebral mucormycosis was found to be 9.06% (95% confidence interval 6.7-11.8). These findings suggest that rhinocerebral mucormycosis in patients without known predisposing factors is more prevalent than was previously believed.