Mucormycosis in Children: Review and Recommendations for Management

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Infectious Diseases
• Mycology
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Mucormycosis is the third most common invasive fungal infection in children, with a rising incidence and high mortality, particularly in neonates.
• Risk factors include immunosuppression, neutropenia, diabetes, and prematurity, with documented hospital outbreaks.
• Diagnosis relies on clinical suspicion, histopathology, culture, and molecular methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current literature on the epidemiology and diagnosis of invasive mucormycosis in children.
• To provide evidence-based suggestions for the management of pediatric mucormycosis.
• To address the challenges in conducting clinical trials for antifungal therapies in this population.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature review of studies on pediatric mucormycosis.
• Analysis of epidemiological data, diagnostic approaches, and treatment outcomes.
• Synthesis of information from case series, in vitro data, and animal models due to limited clinical trials.

Main Results:

• Mucormycosis presents diverse clinical features influenced by underlying conditions.
• Diagnostic accuracy is improving with molecular techniques.
• Surgical debridement and antifungal therapy are standard treatments, but optimal regimens are not well-defined for children.

Conclusions:

• Invasive mucormycosis in children requires high clinical suspicion and prompt, aggressive management.
• Management strategies are primarily based on limited data, emphasizing the need for further research.
• Multidisciplinary care and early intervention are key to improving outcomes in pediatric mucormycosis.