Mucormycosis of the mandible after dental extractions in a patient with acute myelogenous leukemia

Abstract

Mucormycosis is a fulminant fungal infection that occurs most often in diabetic and immunocompromised patients including those with hematologic malignancies. In this case, a patient with acute myelogenous leukemia developed mucormycosis in a recent mandibular extraction site. The successful management of this patient demonstrated that early diagnosis, aggressive surgical and medical treatment and resolution of the underlying disease could improve the prognosis for survival. A case is made for the role of smoking as an initiator of mucormycosis, and treatment considerations for controlling periodontal and pulpal disease before chemotherapy are discussed.