Rhinocerebral mucormycosis: literature review apropos of a rare entity

Abstract

Mucormycosis is a rare fungal infection that affects immunocompromised patients, and the rhinoorbitocerebral presentation is the most common clinical form of the disease, often associated with diabetes mellitusThe treatment is complex and involves amphotericin B and surgery. Studies show increasing success without or with minimal surgeries. The authors present the case of a diabetic woman with a 1-month history of intranasal and right periorbital pain associated with progressive deficit of various cranial nerves, sudden amaurosis and homolateral ptosis. Rhizopus oryzae species was identified in pus in the nasal mucosa. She was treated with antifungal therapy and minimal surgical debridement with success. The authors decided on publication because of the rarity of this entity, alerting for the need of a high suspicion index for the diagnosis, which should be made as early as possible due to the high mortality rate, as well as presenting data about the increasing discussion of therapeutic strategies, with some new approaches that prioritise minimal surgeries.