Primary Cutaneous Zygomycosis in an Immunodeficient Infant: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Periorbital primary cutaneous mucormycosis: a case report and literature review

Mucormycosis is a rare subcutaneous fungal disease caused by mucormycoides, which can affect the skin, nose, brain, lung, gastrointestinal tract and other system. Cutaneous mucormycosis accounts for 10-19% of mucormycosis and is one of the most common types only second to the lung and naso-brain mucormycosis. Here we report a case of periorbital primary cutaneous mucormycosis in a latent immunocompromised male with a suspected history of herpes zoster on the right head and face. He was successfully treated with local injection and oral antifungal drugs combined with debridement, and without recurrence after more than one-year follow-up.

Cutaneous Mucormycosis After Elective Outpatient Gastrocnemius Recession for Plantar Fasciitis in an Immunocompetent Host: A Case Report

CASE

A healthy 21-year-old man underwent an elective gastrocnemius recession for plantar fasciitis. At 10 days postoperatively, he developed a severe limb-threatening cutaneous mucormycotic infection that led to multiple debridements and eventual skin grafting.

CONCLUSION

Cutaneous mucormycosis is a rare but severe fungal infection. Early recognition, deep surgical biopsy for diagnosis, and aggressive treatment with frequent thorough surgical debridements and antifungal pharmacotherapy are necessary. Although mucormycosis is more frequently seen in the immunocompromised host, it can occur in the immunocompetent patient most commonly after trauma. If not aggressively treated, it can be limb and life threatening.

Acute cutaneous zygomycosis of the scalp: A case report and literature review

Cutaneous zygomycosis is the third most common form of zygomycosis. However, scalp involvement is rare for this disease. In this study, we present a case of acute zygomycosis in a diabetic patient who was effectively treated with local debridement, amphotericin B lipid complex and posaconazole.

Mucormycosis in children: a study of 22 cases in a Mexican hospital

We present a single-centre, retrospective study (1985-2012) of 22 cases of mucormycosis in children. A total of 158 mucormycosis cases were identified, of which 22 (13.96%) were children. The mean age of the children was 10.3 years (range: 6 months-18 years), and 59% of the infections occurred in males. The rhinocerebral form was the main clinical presentation (77.27%), followed by the primary cutaneous and pulmonary patterns. The major underlying predisposing factors were diabetes mellitus in 68.18% of the patients and haematologic diseases in 27.7% of the patients. The cases were diagnosed by mycological tests, with positive cultures in 95.4% of the patients. Rhizopus arrhizus was the foremost aetiologic agent in 13/22 cases (59.1%). In 21 cultures, the aetiologic agents were identified morphologically and by molecular identification. In 10 cultures, the internal transcribed spacer region of the ribosomal DNA was sequenced. Clinical cure and mycological cure were achieved in 27.3% cases, which were managed with amphotericin B deoxycholate and by treatment of the underlying conditions.

Identification and susceptibility of Rhizomucor spp. isolated from patients with cutaneous zygomycosis in China

Zygomycosis is a relatively uncommon mycosis with a morbidity that is increasing worldwide. Cutaneous zygomycosis, one of the clinical manifestations of the disease, has also emerged in recent decades. The major reported etiologic agents in China include Rhizomucor spp., Rhizopus spp., Mucor spp., and Lichtheimia spp. (formerly Absidia spp.). This study examined 11 clinical isolates of Rhizomucor that belong to three species (R. variabilis, R. regularior, and R. chlamydosporus). They were identified by both morphological and molecular methods and were found to have a high degree of correlation. In vitro susceptibility of the Rhizomucor isolates to seven antifungal drugs (amphotericin B, itraconazole, terbinafine, voriconazole, fluconazole, flucytosine, and micafungin) were tested, which resulted in amphotericin B being found to be the most active agent against all species evaluated in this study. The investigation also reviewed case reports of cutaneous zygomycosis in China.