Oral Mucormycosis: An Inevitable Complication of COVID-19

Abstract

Individuals who have shown recovery from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are increasingly getting diagnosed with Mucormycosis or "Black fungus." It is a difficult condition to diagnose as it has symptoms that are common among a variety of diseases. Hence, it is important to identify the presenting signs and understand the underlying pathogenesis of COVID-19 associated Mucormycosis. The incidence of these mycotic infections has shown a substantial increase in current times owing to an increase in the prevalence of immunocompromised subjects, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Any suspected case of mucormycosis requires rapid diagnosis and management due to its rapid progression as well as the destructive course of infection. This article reviews the taxonomy, pathogenesis, and clinical signs along with laboratory investigations that may play a vital role in the timely diagnosis of this condition as it is mostly fatal.

Keywords: COVID-19; diagnosis; management; mucormycosis; signs.

Figure 1

Histopathological picture of necrotic tissue with branching and aseptate fungal hyphae