Disseminated Cunninghamella bertholletiae Infection During Induction Chemotherapy in a Girl with High-Risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Disseminated Cunninghamella elegans Infection Diagnosed by mNGS During Induction Therapy in a Child With Intermediate-risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Case Report and Review of Literature

We described a 14-year-old girl with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who developed disseminated mucormycosis during induction therapy. Disseminated Cunninghamella elegans infection was confirmed by histopathology, microbiological culture, and metagenomic next-generation sequencing analysis of skin tissue, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid. Subsequently, the patient received a combination of liposomal amphotericin B, posaconazole, and caspofungin for antifungal treatment, but eventually died because of severe fungal pneumonia, respiratory failure, and septic shock. Moreover, case reports of pulmonary mucormycosis in children published since 1959 were reviewed. In summary, metagenomic next-generation sequencing is an effective diagnostic method for Cunninghamella with high speed and sensitivity.

Early necrotic skin lesions after a ABO-incompatible kidney transplantation: The threat of Cunninghamella Spp

A 49-year-old man underwent ABO-incompatible kidney transplantation with a living donor. At day 33 post-transplantation, he presented with undiagnosed epilepsy with generalized tonic-clonic seizures. At day 44 post-transplantation, he developed left-sided pneumonia attributed to Aspergillus fumigatus and treatment with liposomal amphotericin B was initiated. At day 51 post-transplantation, necrotic skin lesions appeared. DNA sequencing in a fresh cutaneous biopsy finally identified Cunninghamella Spp., a member of the order Mucorales. Unfortunately, the necrotic lesions spread, and the patient died at day 60 post-transplantation. This case report highlights the infectious risk related to ABO-incompatible kidney transplantation and suggests a requirement for rapid identification of every skin lesion, even in the early phases of immunosuppression.

Successful treatment of invasive fungal rhinosinusitis caused by Cunninghamella: A case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Invasive fungal rhinosinusitis (IFR) caused by Cunninghamella is very rare but has an extremely high fatality rate. There have been only seven cases of IFR caused by Cunninghamella reported in English and, of these, only three patients survived. In this article, we present another case of IFR caused by Cunninghamella, in which the patient was initially treated successfully but then deteriorated due to a relapse of leukemia 2 mo later.

CASE SUMMARY

A 50-year-old woman presented with a 2-mo history of right ocular proptosis, blurred vision, rhinorrhea and nasal obstruction. Nasal endoscopic examination showed that the middle turbinate had become necrotic and fragile. Endoscopic sinus surgery and enucleation of the right orbital contents were performed successively. Additionally, the patient was treated with amphotericin B both systematically and topically. Secretion cultivation of the right eye canthus showed infection with Cunninghamella, while postoperative pathology also revealed fungal infection. The patient’s condition gradually stabilized after surgery. However, the patient underwent chemotherapy again due to a relapse of leukemia 2 mo later. Unfortunately, her leukocyte count decreased dramatically, leading to a fatal lung infection and hemoptysis.

CONCLUSION

Aggressive surgical debridements, followed by antifungal drug treatment both systematically and topically, are the most important fundamental treatments for IFR.