Featured Article for February 29, 2020
Mucormycosis
Mucormycosis, a subtype of a larger category of diseases known as zygomycoses, is an aggressive opportunistic infection which tends to show a proclivity for, among other sites (namely the lungs and gastrointestinal tract), the rhino-orbital tract. While rhino-orbital mucormycosis is typically associated with Rhizopus species, a number of other species have also been implicated, including Mucor, Rhizomucor, Absidia, Apophysomyces, Saksenaea, Cunninghamella, Cokeromyces, and Syncephalastrum.
Rhino-orbital mucormycosis tends to affect specific patient populations. It is most often associated with diabetes mellitus (type 2 more frequently than type 1, especially with a history of diabetic ketoacidosis). Other associated conditions include neutropenia, hematologic malignancy, chronic steroid or immunosuppressive drug use, history of transplant, and history of multiple blood transfusions.
