Amphotericin B cement beads: A good adjunctive treatment for musculoskeletal mucormycosis

Mucormycosis is one among the aggressive, invasive fungal infections usually seen in immunocompromised patients. Mucormycosis osteomyelitis is very rare. We present a patient with acute myeloid leukemia who complained of pain over the right proximal thigh. Plain radiograph revealed ill defined osteolytic lesion of proximal femur. MRI showed altered signal in proximal femur with focal collection and cortical breach. Biopsy and tissue culture diagnosed mucormycosis both histologically and microbiologically. He was treated with aggressive debridement, skeletal stabilization, and amphotericin antifungal cement beads. He recovered with no residual pain, minimal limb shortening, and no clinical or radiological evidence of recurrence at 3 years followup. The high index of suspicion, early diagnosis, aggressive surgical debridement, and adequate antifungal therapy play a significant role in the treatment of musculoskeletal mucormycosis.