Epidemiology and Clinical Manifestations of Mucormycosis

Abstract

Mucormycosis is an emerging angioinvasive infection caused by the ubiquitous filamentous fungi of the Mucorales order of the class of Zygomycetes. Mucormycosis has emerged as the third most common invasive mycosis in order of importance after candidiasis and aspergillosis in patients with hematological and allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Mucormycosis also remains a threat in patients with diabetes mellitus in the Western world. Furthermore, this disease is increasingly recognized in recently developed countries, such as India, mainly in patients with uncontrolled diabetes or trauma. Epidemiological data on this type of mycosis are scant. Therefore, our ability to determine the burden of disease is limited. Based on anatomic localization, mucormycosis can be classified as one of 6 forms: (1) rhinocerebral, (2) pulmonary, (3) cutaneous, (4) gastrointestinal, (5) disseminated, and (6) uncommon presentations. The underlying conditions can influence clinical presentation and outcome. This review describes the emerging epidemiology and the clinical manifestations of mucormycosis.

Épidémiologie des mucormycoses en France métropolitaine, 1997–2010

“…L'étude des pathologies associées aux mucormycoses a porté sur neuf conditions définies et hierarchisées afin de ne retenir qu'un facteur de risque par patient. La première catégorie considérée comme la plus à risque, intitulée « hémopathies malignes » (HM) a inclus par ordre d'importance les hémopathies malignes avec greffe de cellules souches hématopoïétiques, les hémopathies malignes avec neutropénie sans greffe de cellule souches et les hémopathies malignes sans aucune Une augmentation de l'incidence des mucormycoses (zygomycoses)a été suggérée par différents auteurs [1,2], mais les données épidémiologiques sont le plus souvent issues d'études monocentriques portant sur des cohortes de patients sévèrement immunodéprimés, chez lesquels la probabilité de survenue d'une mucormycose ou d'autres infections fongiques invasives est considé-rée comme élevée [3]. Les études en population géné-rale étant rares, il est difficile d'estimer l'incidence à l'échelle d'un pays.…”

Disseminated mucormycosis: A sinister cause of neutropenic fever syndrome

“…Pulmonary mucormycosis is found in 17% of cases, most commonly in patients with hematological diseases. Disseminated disease forms the least common type (5%) and mostly begins with pulmonary mucormycosis (8). The most common site of dissemination is cerebral with involvement also being reported in spleen, heart, kidney and other organs.…”

Trilogy of sequential infections in a diabetic male

“…Poorly controlled diabetes mellitus with or without diabetic ketoacidosis is also a known predisposing factor for mucormycosis in 36%–88% of cases [1].…”