Mucormycosis of the thyroid gland: A cataclysmic event in renal allograft recipient

Abstract

Invasive fungal infection is a complication seen in immunocompromised patients. A disseminated fungal infection has a high rate of mortality. Although disseminated infection is known to be seen in most organs, thyroid involvement is rarely reported. Hence, we report a fatal case of thyroid mucormycosis which resulted into laryngeal nerve paralysis and death of a renal allograft recipient.

Disseminated mucormycosis presenting as a renal mass in an human immunodeficiency virus-infected patient: A case report

“…2,8,12 It can also occur in immunocompetent individuals, particularly in isolated or bilateral renal cases. 13,14 In this case, we observed a rare form of disseminated mucormycosis from a person living with HIV. Whilst clinical diversity of mucormycosis makes it difficult to diagnose, 15 this case is a lesson that a high index of suspicion in the correct clinical setting is important to decrease morbidity and mortality associated with this infection.…”

“…The best practice guidance for renal mucormycosis is antifungal therapy and surgical debridement. 3,13 In our limited resource setting, One of the advantages of liposomal amphotericin B pertinent to this case would have been its lower nephrotoxicity side effect profile. 3 Reports of patients surviving disseminated renal mucormycosis with antifungal therapy alone (which fails often because it poorly penetrates the tissue), in the absence of surgical debridement are lacking.…”

The infectious thyroid nodule: A case report of mucormycosis associated with ibrutinib therapy

“…is exceedingly rare with only 11 previous cases reported in the literature. Only two previously reported cases, a renal transplant patient in India and a child undergoing treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Poland, involved isolated thyroid disease [4, 5]. The others had thyroid involvement in the context of disseminated infection [6].…”

Mucormycosis with pulmonary, renal, pancreatic and spleen involvement detected by 18F-FDG PET/CT in a patient who underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Report of case

“…Although it has demonstrated its utility in a limited number of patients with lung, brain, hepatic and splenic candidiasis or mould infections [4,5], as well as cryptococcosis [6], there have been few publications concerning mucormycosis [1,7]. It usually presents as rhino-orbital-cerebral [1] or pulmonary [8] mucormycosis but is much less frequent in other locations as gastrointestinal, skin or other regions [9,10]. Its early diagnosis is mandatory, as a delay of treatment can significantly increase mortality [11].…”