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Microbiological Rapid On-Site Evaluation for Pulmonary Infectious Diseases
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Pulmonary zygomycosis

Vasilios Pyrgos1, Shmuel Shoham, Thomas J Walsh

  • 1Immunocompromised Host Section, Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.

Seminars in Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
|March 28, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Zygomycosis is a serious fungal infection in immunocompromised individuals, often linked to iron availability. Early diagnosis and aggressive treatment are crucial due to high mortality rates.

Area of Science:

  • Mycology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Immunocompromised Host

Background:

  • Zygomycosis is an emerging opportunistic infection, particularly in immunocompromised patients.
  • Hospital outbreaks have been linked to contaminated products, highlighting environmental risks.
  • Key risk factors include uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, neutropenia, immunosuppression, and iron overload.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of zygomycosis.
  • To emphasize the critical role of iron in zygomycosis pathogenesis.
  • To discuss the challenges in diagnosing and managing this severe infection.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent studies on zygomycosis.
  • Analysis of risk factors, pathogenesis, and clinical manifestations.
  • Evaluation of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

Main Results:

  • Iron availability, influenced by ketoacidosis and hyperglycemia, is central to Zygomycetes pathogenesis.
  • Commonly affected sites include sinuses, lungs, CNS, skin, and soft tissues.
  • Diagnosis often requires invasive procedures due to non-specific imaging and unproven less invasive tests.

Conclusions:

  • Zygomycosis presents significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in immunocompromised patients.
  • Combined medical and surgical approaches are often necessary.
  • Despite aggressive management, mortality rates for zygomycosis remain high.

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