Primary cutaneous mucormycosis in a premature infant: case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Mucormycosis is an uncommon infection caused by fungi of the order Mucorales, family Mucoraceae, and almost always occurs in individuals with predisposing factors such as diabetes mellitus, metabolic acidosis, or immunodeficiency states. Although mucormycosis is a rare infection in childhood, sporadic cases of skin infections have been described in young infants and older children; primary skin infection has been associated with multiple nosocomial outbreaks caused by contaminated elastic bandages. In all reported cases involving premature infants, the elimination of the infection involved surgical debridement. We report for the first time successful conservative treatment with intravenous amphotericin B in a premature infant with primary cutaneous infection caused by Rhizopus oryzae.