Rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis, a retrospective study of 7 cases

Mucormycosis is an opportunistic fungal infection caused by fungi of the Mucorales order. It has a low incidence and is a potentially lethal infection which generally affects patients who are immunocompromised due to systemic disease. We report 7 cases of rhinocerebral mucormycosis in a retrospective study of 8 years (2000-2008) in haematological patients. An early diagnosis is essential, and therefore there must be a high level of clinical suspicion in patients with predisposing factors. Certainty diagnosis requires fungal cultures or biopsies of the affected areas which prove an invasion of the tissues by the characteristic hyphae. The key to treatment is early and aggressive surgical treatment, together with high intravenous doses of amphotericin B. Despite this, prognosis is poor and mortality is about 70-80%.