Cutaneous mucormycosis

Mucormycosis and COVID-19 pandemic: Clinical and diagnostic approach

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is yet to be controlled worldwide, especially in India. The second wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) led to panic and confusion in India, owing to the overwhelming number of the population that fell prey to this highly infectious virus of recent times. In the second wave of COVID-19, the patients had to fight both the virus and opportunistic infections triggered by fungi and bacteria. Repeated use of steroids, antibiotics, and oxygen masks during the management of severely and critically ill COVID-19 patients nurtured opportunistic infections such as mucormycosis. Despite mucormycosis being a decades-old disease, it has gained notice of its widespread occurrence in COVID-19 patients throughout India. Instances of mucormycosis are usually unearthed in immunocompromised individuals and are caused by the inhalation of filamentous fungi, either from the natural environment or through supportive care units. In the recent outbreak during the second wave of COVID-19 in India, it has been seen to cause secondary infection as it grows along with the treatment of COVID-19. Furthermore, COVID-19 patients with comorbidities such as diabetes were more likely to have the mucormycosis co-infection because of their challenged immune systems' inability to fight it. Despite the hype, mucormycosis still remains neglected and least studied, which is predominantly due to all focus on diagnostics, vaccine, and therapeutic research. In this review, we emphasize mainly on the association of mucormycosis in COVID-19 patients. We also present the molecular mechanism of mucormycosis for a better understanding of the fungal infections in patients who have recently been infected with SARS-CoV-2. Better understanding of fungal pathogens, immediate diagnosis, and management of the infections are crucial in COVID-19 patients, as high mortalities have been recorded in co-infected patients despite recovery from COVID-19.

Zygomycosis of the Scalp Caused by Rhizopus oryzae Presenting as Kerion in an Immunocompetent Child

Deep mycosis of the scalp caused by Rhizopus oryzae mimicking kerion is rare. Herein, we report a case of such infection in a 5-year-old immunocompetent boy who presented with multiple painful boggy swellings with discharging sinuses on the scalp of 4 months’ duration. Purulent discharge from the swelling cultured on Sabouraud's dextrose agar yielded R. oryzae species which was confirmed by molecular analysis by polymerase chain reaction. The child was managed with parenteral liposomal amphotericin-B which helped in clearance of infection.

Zygomycetes infections in pediatric hematology oncology patients: a case series and review of the literature

Fungi from the Zygomycetes class are increasingly recognized causes of infection in immunosuppressed children, but no comprehensive literature review and few case series have been published on the topic. A case series of 6 pediatric oncology patients with Zygomycetes infections cared for at our institution was constructed, and a concurrent search of the English language literature for Zygomycetes infections in children with oncologic disorders was undertaken. Our case series described 6 patients (5 male) between the ages of 2.5 and 19.5 years. One patient was diagnosed with rhinocerebral disease, 2 with rhinosinusitis, 2 with pulmonary involvement, and 1 with a gastrointestinal presentation. Five patients survived. Our literature review identified 82 cases from 61 studies. The mean subject age was 10.8 years (1.4 to 21.0 y). About 92.7% of all patients suffered from some form of leukemia, with 70.7% suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Overall, 58.5% of reported patients survived, with individuals with disseminated disease showing the worst prognosis (68.2% mortality) and those with cutaneous disease the best (14.3% mortality). Survival is increasingly reported in the literature, perhaps as a result of improved diagnostic capabilities, increased physician awareness and increased reliance on adjunctive surgical therapy.

Primary cutaneous zygomycosis in two immunocompromised children

Zygomycosis, often referred to as ''mucormycosis'' or ''phycomycosis,'' is a rapidly progressive fungal infection which usually occurs in immunocompromised individuals, and is characterized by soft tissue destruction and invasion of blood vessels. The rare and easily misdiagnosed primary cutaneous form may present as a superficial erosion with a painless, gradual onset and slow progression of symptoms or a gangrenous, necrotic ulceration due to rapid tissue and vascular invasion. With the latter form, the mortality rate among affected individuals is high even after aggressive surgical debridement and amphotericin B administration, emphasizing the importance of early recognition and proper diagnosis. We present two instances of gangrenous cutaneous zygomycosis in immunocompromised children and review the literature with regard to etiology, diagnosis and treatment, highlighting the pediatric population.

Cutaneous mucormycosis in a young, immunocompetent girl

We report a case of cutaneous mucormycosis in a healthy, immunocompetent young girl (age 14 years). The patient had a 5-year history of a slowly enlarging, erythematous plaque with slight elevated, scaling, circinate borders on the right thigh. Histopathology showed a granulomatous infiltrate with broad, pale, non-septate hyphae. Mycological study identified Mucor hiemalis (Wehmer).

Improved outcome of zygomycosis in patients with hematological diseases?

Zygomycosis is an opportunistic fungal infection that is increasingly reported in hematological patients. We describe 2 cases of successfully treated rhino-cerebral zygomycosis and give an overview of 120 patients from the literature with underlying hematological or oncological disorders. These data document the improved survival in sinus (15/17 patients surviving) and cutaneous (6/9 patients surviving) disease. Hematological patients with pulmonary (9/30 patients surviving) or disseminated (4/38 patients surviving) zygomycosis still have a poor prognosis. The clinical course of sinus-orbital involvement (4/11 patients surviving) follows sinus-cerebral (2/3 patients surviving) or cerebral (3/6 patients surviving) disease. Besides deoxycholate amphotericin B (AmB) (24/62 patients surviving), patients seem to benefit from liposomal amphotericin B (L-AmB) (10/16 patients surviving) or sequential AmB/L-AmB treatment (6/8 patients surviving). Alternative treatment options lead only in a few patients to success.

Cutaneous Mucormycosis of the Head and Neck with Parotid Gland Involvement: First report of a Case

Cutaneous mucormycosis is an uncommon, life-threatening, opportunistic fungal infection that is a distinctly different entity from the more frequent although still uncommon rhinocerebral form that is better known to otolaryngologists. We describe what to our knowledge is the only reported case of cutaneous mucormycosis of the face with parotid gland involvement, which occurred in a 56-year-old man. The diagnosis was established by tissue biopsy. The patient was treated with antifungal medications and wide local debridement, including a total parotidectomy with sacrifice of the inferior division of the facial nerve. At the 2-year follow-up, he remained free of disease. Familiarity with the risk factors associated with the development of cutaneous mucormycosis is critical to determining the need for early tissue biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. Generally favorable clinical outcomes are associated with prompt and aggressive medical and surgical therapy.

Primary cutaneous mucormycosis: guide to surgical management

Mucormycosis is the most acute, fulminate, and fatal of all fungal infections in humans. It presents most frequently in immunocompromised patients, but can occur in healthy patients in the presence of often-insignificant trauma. Surgical management of primary cutaneous mucormycosis is almost always required. Case reports of surgical treatment for primary cutaneous mucormycosis are reported in the literature; however, the extent of debridement required for cure is unclear and no uniform plan of treatment has been suggested. To date, no clinical guidelines exist to assist the clinician in the surgical management of this disease. This article reviews the literature, reports on two clinical cases, and submits clinical guidelines designed to assist the clinician in the surgical management of primary cutaneous mucormycosis. Because of the infrequent and potentially fatal nature of the diagnosis, a high index of suspicion and a low threshold for wound biopsy must be maintained. Wound cultures are grossly inadequate and should not be relied on for a false sense of security. It is recommended that, for the early diagnosis of cutaneous mucormycosis, chemotherapy and surgical debridement of grossly necrotic tissue be performed at the earliest possible time. The debrided wound is monitored for the resolution of surrounding erythema and induration before definitive reconstruction. In the case of delayed diagnosis and/or advanced or rapidly progressive disease, surgical debridement of all involved tissue, in addition to chemotherapy, is warranted.

Primary cutaneous zygomycosis due to Mucor circinelloides

A 62-year-old woman with myelodysplastic syndrome presented with a 4-week history of a large indurated ulcer with a black eschar on the forearm following trauma. On biopsy a diagnosis of zygomycosis was made as broad, sparsely septate, thin-walled hyphae were seen in the deep dermis and subcutaneous fat. The zygomycete fungus Mucor circinelloides was cultured from tissue. Further investigation confirmed that the infection was localized to the skin. The 6 x 4 cm lesion was excised and the defect closed with a neurovascular island flap. No other treatment was undertaken. The patient died 6 months later from her haematological disease without recurrence of the fungal infection.

Primary cutaneous mucormycosis in a trauma patient

We report a rare case of primary cutaneous mucormycosis caused by Rhizopus oryzae that occurred in an immunocompetent trauma patient. The patient had encrusted erythematous plaques with pustules on the left shin, which had been abraded in a traffic accident. Histologic examination revealed widespread granulomatous inflammation and characteristic broad, non-septate hyphae with right-angle branching in the dermis. The infection was cured with intravenous amphotericin B therapy.

Primary cutaneous mucormycosis: a diagnosis to consider

Primary cutaneous mucormycosis is a deep fungal infection, mainly seen in diabetics and immunocompromised subjects. Rapid diagnosis and therapy are necessary to avoid fatal outcome. We describe the complete histopathological and microbiological studies of primary cutaneous mucormycosis in a 74-year-old man with several risk factors, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, respiratory acidosis, hemolytic anemia, myelodysplastic syndrome and iatrogenic diabetes, due to corticosteroid therapy. He developed two cutaneous necrotic scars on his left leg. Mucormycosis was suspected and specimens from surgical débridement were histopathologically and microbiologically studied confirming the clinical diagnosis. Amphotericin B was given topically and intravenously resulting in complete healing of the ulcer. Risk factors and microbiological studies are compared with those in the current literature. It is necessary in certain cases to suspect mucormycosis infections in diabetics, immunocompromised subjects and even in healthy individuals. Rapid diagnosis and treatment are important, but they should be based on complete histopathological and microbiological studies, to establish the genus of the causal agent.

Cutaneous mucormycosis

The patient, a 59-year-old male, had been diagnosed as having alcoholic hepatopathy 20 years previously. He noticed localized swelling on his left leg after fishing in a river. The patient was diagnosed as having cutaneous mucormycosis upon histological and mycological examination of the skin. Gradual improvement of the symptoms was noted four weeks after administration of itraconazole and fruconazole; these were discontinued after five months.

Localized muscular mucormycosis in a child with acute leukemia

Mucormycosis is a rare fungal infection of childhood, occurring mainly in patients with chronic illnesses such as diabetes and malignancies. The fungus seldom grows in culture and confirmation of the diagnosis depends on histologic examination of infected tissues. To date, the reported natural history of the disease has been rapid progression and a fatal outcome. Therefore, the importance of early diagnosis by tissue biopsy and early treatment with surgical debridement and systemic antifungal therapy cannot be overemphasized. The pulmonary system is the most common site for mucormycosis in patients with leukemia. We report what we believe to be the first successfully treated case of isolated muscular mucormycosis occurring in a child with biphenotypic acute leukemia. The diagnosis was made promptly by tissue examination at the time of surgical debridement. The patient was also given systemic amphotericin-B therapy.

Cutaneous mucormycosis with subsequent visceral dissemination in a child with neutropenia: a case report and review of the pediatric literature

Primary cutaneous mucormycosis is a rare opportunistic fungal infection that is usually limited to the skin. We describe a primary cutaneous Rhizopus infection occurring at a site occluded by a sterile adhesive dressing in which the disease was viscerally disseminated at the time fo diagnosis. Mucormycosis should be considered in all ecthyma-like lesions in immunocompromised patients. It may be rapidly diagnosed by examination of hematoxylin-eosin and PAS-stained sections of the eschar base and a culture of a leading edge tissue aspirate. We review 21 cases of primary cutaneous mucormycosis in children and compare them with the present case.

Soft-tissue fungal infections: surgical management of 12 immunocompromised patients

Isolated fungal soft-tissue infections are uncommon but may cause severe morbidity or mortality among transplant recipients and other immunosuppressed patients. Twelve immunocompromised patients illustrating three patterns of infection were treated recently at the Duke University Medical Center. These groups comprised (I) locally aggressive infections, (II) indolent infections, and (III) cutaneous manifestations of systemic infection. Patient diagnoses included organ transplant, leukemia, prematurity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. Time from immunosuppression to biopsy ranged from 5.5 to 31 weeks. Organisms included Aspergillus, Rhizopus, Fusarium, Paecilomyces, Exophiala, and Curvularia. Patients presented with necrotic ulcerations or nodules. Surgical treatment ranged from radical debridement to excisional biopsy to none. Antifungal chemotherapy also was employed in some cases. The mortality rate was 33 percent, two patients dying without evidence of fungal infection. Six of the eight survivors cleared their infections. Necrotic skin lesions with surrounding erythema in this population call for prompt examination, biopsy, and culture. Group I lesions mandate radical excision with rapid intraoperative microscopic control and systemic antifungal medication. Group II requires surgical control with or without antifungal therapy. Group III requires systemic antifungal therapy for metastatic infection. In our opinion, treatment of fungal soft-tissue infection should be tailored to infection type and requires a team approach of surgeon and expert infectious disease consultation.

Cutaneous zygomycosis caused by Absidia corymbifera in a leukemic patient

A case of cutaneous zygomycosis caused by Absidia corymbifera in a leukemic patient submitted to chemotherapy is reported. The lesion was located on the little finger of the right hand and probably resulted from a latent osteomyelitis. It progressed to form extensive necrotic area. No systemic infection was detected and the lesion did not appear to be associated with any trauma.

Zosteriform zygomycosis

We describe a patient with zygomycosis that resembled herpes zoster infection. The diagnosis was readily made with a potassium hydroxide preparation that revealed sparsely to non-septate hyphae. The patient responded to combination antifungal therapy with amphotericin B and fluconazole. The clinical response correlated with antifungal susceptibility test results.

Disseminated Rhizopus infection in a premature infant

A 16-day-old premature male infant developed rapidly expanding necrotic facial plaques. Histology and cultures of tissue biopsy specimens revealed infection with Rhizopus arrhizius. The patient was treated aggressively with surgical debridement, amphotericin B, and rifampin, but had a progressive spread of the cutaneous infection and a fatal clinical course. He had gastrointestinal and pulmonary involvement on autopsy. Zygomycoses are rapidly progressive infections which generally affect immunocompromised hosts. Premature infants should be included as individuals at risk for disseminated zygomycotic disease.

Cutaneous mucormycosis resembling superficial granulomatous pyoderma in an immunocompetent host

Primary cutaneous mucormycosis is uncommon and occurs mainly in immunosuppressed or diabetic patients or after localized trauma. We report a case of cutaneous mucormycosis in an immunocompetent man in whom no definite precipitating factors could be identified; initially, superficial granulomatous pyoderma was suspected clinically. The lesion was successfully treated with debridement, local wound care, parenteral administration of amphotericin B, and ultimately by surgical excision and split-thickness skin grafting.

Primary cutaneous mucormycosis in a healthy young girl. Report of a case caused by Mucor hiemalis Wehmer

We report an unusual case of primary cutaneous mucormycosis caused by Mucor hiemalis Wehmer that occurred in a healthy young girl after an insect bite. The patient had a slowly extending, indurated, erythematous, and scaling eruption on the right cheek. Histologic examination revealed granulomatous dermatitis and characteristic broad, nonseptate, pale-staining hyphae. This is the first report of an infection in a human being caused by Mucor hiemalis Wehmer. The infection was cured with intravenous amphotericin B.