Invasive Basidiobolomycosis Presenting as Retroperitoneal Fibrosis: A Case Report

Abstract

Basidiobolomycosis is an uncommon emerging fungal infection caused by Basidiobolus ranarum. It frequently causes cutaneous infection, but it rarely infects visceral tissues in humans. Here, a 39-year-old previously healthy woman presented with severe left-sided abdominal pain and weight loss. She had visited several hospitals and had provisionally been diagnosed as having either a retroperitoneal malignancy or retroperitoneal fibrosis before being referred to our hospital. Abdominal computerized tomography and biopsy of the retroperitoneal mass revealed retroperitoneal basidiobolomycosis infection. She was started on antifungal treatment. This led to significant improvement, without surgical intervention. Gastrointestinal basidiobolomycosis can present in many forms, commonly involving the colon and liver with multifocal inflammatory masses. Nonetheless, retroperitoneal basidiobolomycosis presentation is extremely rare and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a retroperitoneal mass with eosinophilia.

Antifungal Activities of Artesunate, Chloramphenicol, and Co-trimoxazole in Comparison to Standard Antifungal Agents against Basidiobolus Species

“…One of the severe forms of basidiobolomycosis is human gastrointestinal basidiobolomycosis (GIB). Most of the GIB cases were pediatrics and predominately reported from the south of Saudi Arabia [4][5][6][7].…”

A Very Rare Basidiobolomycosis Case Presented with Cecal Perforation and Concomitant Hepatic Involvement in an Elderly Male Patient: A Case Study

“…Basidiobolomycosis is a rare granulomatous infection of the skin and subcutaneous tissue that can develop quickly and create a persistent infection of the subcutaneous tissue in immunocompetent individuals. It most usually affects infants under the age of one month and is rarely found in adults [ 1 , 2 ].…”

“…Colonic bowel disease with concurrent liver involvement is uncommon, with only six cases reported. Colonic perforation caused by Basidiobolomycosis is extremely uncommon, with only two cases documented in the literature [ 2 ].…”

Antifungal activities of artesunate, chloramphenicol, and cotrimoxazole against Basidiobolus species, the causal agents of gastrointestinal basidiobolomycosis

“…One of the severe forms of basidiobolomycosis is human gastrointestinal basidiobolomycosis (GIB). Most of the GIB cases were pediatrics and predominately reported from the south of Saudi Arabia (3)(4)(5)(6).…”