What is Mucormycosis (Zygomycosis)

Mucormycosis is a fungal infection of the sinuses, brain, or lungs and on rare occasions the skin and digestive system, that occurs primarily in people with immune disorders.

Statistics on Mucormycosis (Zygomycosis)

Mucormycosis occurs mostly in immunocompromised hosts, although cases in immunocompetent patients also are reported.

Risk Factors for Mucormycosis (Zygomycosis)

Risk Factors in adults include the following:
 

  • Diabetes Mellitus
  • Malignancy
  • Protein malnutrition
  • Burns
  • Acute and chronic renal disease
  • Immunosuppresed patients such as AIDS patients, organ recipients
  • Neonates, especially those born premature, have demonstrated an increased risk.

 

How is Mucormycosis (Zygomycosis) Diagnosed?

A physician will usually make his/her diagnosis based upon a combination of the patient’s medical history and a visual examination of the nose and throat.
The doctor will take a tissue sample for biopsy, or a PAS, potassium hydroxide (KOH), or Calcofluor stain in order to make a tentative diagnosis. Absolute confirmation requires a laboratory culture of the fungal infection.
Imaging studies are not required to make a diagnosis of the disease, but magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography scans (CT scans) can demonstrate the amount of show tissue and bone destruction that has occurred and aid in the decision for an aggressive surgical approach. Chest x-ray will sometimes be indicative of a cavity in the lung or an area filled with tissue fluid if the patient has pulmonary mucormycosis.

Prognosis of Mucormycosis (Zygomycosis)

Mucormycosis has an extremely high mortality rate even with aggressive surgical intervention. Survival is wholly reliant upon quick diagnosis. If any suspicion of the disease is suspected, the patient should be taken directly to hospital.

How is Mucormycosis (Zygomycosis) Treated?

The generally accepted form of treatment for this disease is an aggressive one. Early surgical intervention to remove all the patients’ dead and infected tissue, along with immediate intravenous antifungal therapy.
Surgical removal of infected tissues is essential and can potentially lead to some disfigurement, depending on the area effected.
Prevention depends on protecting high-risk patients from contact with sugary foods, decaying plants, moldy bread, manure, and other breeding grounds for fungi.

Mucormycosis (Zygomycosis) References

[1] Beavis, Kathleen G. “Systemic Mycoses.” In Current Diagnosis 9, edited by Rex B. Conn, et al. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Company, 1997.
[2] Hamill, Richard J. “Infectious Diseases: Mycotic.” In Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 1998, edited by Lawrence M. Tierney Jr., et al. Stamford, CT: Appleton & Lange, 1997.
[3] “Infectious Disease: Systemic Fungal Diseases.” In The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy. vol. II, edited by Robert Berkow, et al. Rahway, NJ: Merck Research Laboratories, 1992.
[4] Jackler, Robert K., and Michael J. Kaplan. “Ear, Nose, & Throat.” In Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 1998, edited by Lawrence M. Tierney, Jr., et al. Stamford, CT: Appleton & Lange, 1997.

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