Rhinocerebral mucormycosis complicated by bacterial brain abscess

Isolated cerebral mucormycosis that looks like stroke and brain abscess: A case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Cerebral mucormycosis is an infectious disease of the brain caused by fungi of the order Mucorales. These infections are rarely encountered in clinical practice and are often misdiagnosed as cerebral infarction or brain abscess. Increased mortality due to cerebral mucormycosis is closely related to delayed diagnosis and treatment, both of which present unique challenges for clinicians.

CASE SUMMARY

Cerebral mucormycosis is generally secondary to sinus disease or other disseminated disease. However, in this retrospective study, we report and analyze a case of isolated cerebral mucormycosis.

CONCLUSION

The constellation of symptoms including headaches, fever, hemiplegia, and changes in mental status taken together with clinical findings of cerebral infarction and brain abscess should raise the possibility of a brain fungal infection. Early diagnosis and prompt initiation of antifungal therapy along with surgery can improve patient survival.

Surgical management of post-COVID invasive rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis and its outcomes: Role of neurosurgeons in a tertiary care center

Background:

Mucormycosis, which was previously considered to be rare, has emerged with a new challenge in patients infected with or recovering from COVID-19. Immunocompromised patients are particularly prone to developing this disease. The most common form of presentation is rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis (ROCM). We present various neurosurgical approaches to an entire spectrum of its clinical manifestations.

Methods:

This is a retrospective study of patients who were admitted to the neurosurgery department with ROCM and a history of COVID-19 infection between November 1, 2020, and September 1, 2021. All cases of ROCM underwent contrast-enhanced computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, paranasal sinuses, and orbit. A tissue biopsy was sent for histopathological analysis. All confirmed cases received liposomal amphotericin B and surgical treatment was immediately undertaken.

Results:

Out of 200 patients with ROCM, 40 patients presented with neurological manifestations. Seven out of 40 patients had focal lesions in the brain and skull bone that needed neurosurgical intervention along with sinus debridement and antifungal treatment. These seven patients presented with different clinical manifestations: large-vessel stroke (one), medium-vessel stroke (one), frontal lobe abscess (one), frontal bone osteomyelitis (two), isolated central nervous system involvement (one), and mucor mimicking trigeminal schwannoma (one). The surgical intervention included decompressive craniectomy, frontal craniotomy, subtemporal craniotomy, and a minimally invasive supraorbital keyhole approach.

Conclusion:

In high-risk patients, a high level of clinical suspicion combined with appropriate investigations should be performed as soon as possible. Symptoms and early warning signs should not be overlooked, as treatment delays can be fatal. A minimally invasive surgical approach is possible in view of decreasing the morbidity of large craniotomy.

Case Report: Diagnostic Value of Metagenomics Next Generation Sequencing in Intracranial Infection Caused by Mucor

mNGS(metagenomics Next Generation Sequencing), as a novel culture-independent approach, demonstrated the capability of rapid, sensitive, and accurate pathogen identification. At present, there have been many case reports about the use of mNGS to assist in the diagnosis of bacterial, fungal, viral and parasitic infections and to guide clinicians to determine appropriate treatment. However, the clinical understanding of this technique is not comprehensive, and the experience of using it is relatively limited. We reported a 53-year-old man who was admitted to hospital with a high fever and headache. His inflammatory biomarkers were markedly elevated. Based on the clinical presentation, He was initially diagnosed as having an intracranial infection of unknown etiology and received empirical antibiotics and systemic supportive treatment. But these did not relieve his symptoms. Both the blood and CSF specimens were examined using traditional culture, serological testing, and mNGS. Traditional culture and serological testing produced negative results, while the mNGS revealed the presence of a potential pathogen, mucor, in the CSF specimen. Then targeted antifungal treatment was selected quickly and his temperature gradually returned to normal. Thus, we report the case in which mNGS was an auxiliary method to diagnose mucormycosis, and discuss this case in combination with relevant literature, in order to improve the clinical cognition of this technology.

A meta-analysis of survival factors in rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis-has anything changed in the past 20 years?

BACKGROUND

Rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis (ROCM) is an uncommon yet potentially lethal fungal infection. Although most cases originate from developing countries, an ageing population and increased prevalence of chronic illness may mean some clinicians practicing in developed countries will encounter ROCM cases in their careers. Yohai et al published a systematic review of 145 case reports from 1970 to 1993 assessing prognostic factors for patients presenting with ROCM. We present an updated review of the literature and assess whether survival outcomes have changed in the two decades since that seminal paper.

SEARCH STRATEGY

An extensive Medline literature search was performed for case reports published between 1994 and 2015.

RESULTS

In total, 210 published cases were identified from the literature review, of which 175 patients from 140 papers were included in this review. Fifty-five were female, with an overall mean age of 43 years. Overall survival rate was 59.5%, which was not significantly better than the previous series reported (60%) reported by Yohai et al. Survival rates in patients with chronic renal disease had improved, from 19% to 52%, and in patients with leukaemia (from 13% to 50%). Facial necrosis and hemiplegia remained poor prognostic indicators (33% and 39% survival rates, respectively). Early commencement of medical treatment related to better survival outcomes (61% if commenced within first 12 days of presentation, compared to 33% if after 13 days). Timing of surgery had less of an effect on overall survival. However, in 28 cases that did not receive any surgical treatment, survival was only 21%.

CONCLUSIONS

Although overall survival rates have not improved, survival in patients with renal disease were better, potentially due to the introduction of liposomal amphotericin B which is less nephrotoxic. Prompt recognition of ROCM, reversal of predisposing co-morbidities and aggressive medical treatment remain the cornerstone of managing this highly aggressive disease.

Mucormycosis in a surgical defect masquerading as osteomyelitis: a case report and review of literature

Mucormycosis is a rare, highly lethal opportunistic fungal disease affecting immune compromised and diabetic patients. Mucormycosis is considered as the 3^rd most common invasive mycosis after candidiasis and aspergillosis in debilitating patients. It is caused by the filamentous fungi of the class zygomycetes. The infection usually begins in the nose due to inhalation of fungal spores. This fatal fungal disease needs a prompt and early definitive diagnosis, aggressive surgical therapy and high dose anti-fungal therapy. Here, we present a case report of Mucormycosis in a 64 year elderly diabetic male patient who was previously operated for myiasis and also the extensive review of the literature of the mucormycosis.

Brain abscess caused by Enterococcus faecalis following a dental procedure in a patient with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a disease characterized by arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Brain abscess is a complication of HHT with AVMs. Literature provides evidence that Enterococcus faecalis can cause endodontic infections. We present the case of an HHT patient who developed brain abscess due to E. faecalis after a dental procedure.