Vertebral osteomyelitis and epidural abcess due to mucormycosis, a case report

A patient is described, with a history of pain in the neck, followed by a slowly progressive loss of muscle strength in both arms, followed by tetraplegia. Medical history included laryngectomy with partial hypopharyngectomy preceded by radiotherapy, because of carcinoma. X-ray of the cervical spine was suggestive for metastases. The patient died as a consequence of massive pulmonary embolism and at autopsy the cause of the neurological deficit turned out to be vertebral osteomyelitis and epidural abscess due to mucormycosis.