Epidemiology and clinical manifestation of fungal infection related to Mucormycosis in hematologic malignancies

Abstract

Introduction: Mucormycosis is an opportunist fungus infection with acute and rapidly progressive nature in the hematologic malignancy patients. This study was done to investigate the prevalence and clinical manifestations of this infection among hematologic malignancies. Methodology:This cross-sectional study (descriptive-analytical) was performed while investigating medical records of 30 patients with hematologic malignancy affected by Mucormycosis in Imam Reza Hospital between 2001 and 2013. After collecting the data, it was entered in SPSS 19 Software with a provided checklist that included demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, and it was analyzed by using descriptive (mean, frequency) and inferential (chi- square and independent -t-test) statistical methods (p-value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant). Findings:Overall, the prevalence of Mucormycosis was 4.29 per 100 patient hematologic malignancies. The infection proportion among men and women was 72. 2, 27.6%, respectively. The maximum cases of Mucormycosis were observed among AML patients (62.1%). The most common place of involvement was lung (89.4%) and fever was the most popular sign of the infection (100%). The most considerable and effective factor in the prognosis of infection was using combined therapy of Amphotericin Band surgery (debridement) that has statistically significant correlation (p<0.05). Conclusion:Considerable prevalence and death related to Mucormycosis infection among patients of hematologic malignancy showed the importance of having strategies for its prevention and early diagnosis especially among acute leukemia patients.

Keywords: Mucormycosis; epidemiology; hematologic malignancy.