Mycotic clival osteomyelitis secondary to immunosuppression by SARS-CoV-2

During the past 2 years, the use of systemic corticosteroids has increased due to COVID-19 atypical pneumonia management. Similarly, an increase in mycotic infection cases has been reported during the same period as a consequence of immunosuppression caused by corticosteroid overuse. Mycotic clival osteomyelitis is a rare clinical entity which presumably has increased its incidence during the pandemic.

A 52-year-old woman who presented persistent headaches and unexplained weight loss after being hospitalized due to COVID-19 pneumonia treated with intravenous corticosteroids. Head computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed extensive osteomyelitis at the clival region with no brain parenchyma involvement. Surgical excision through navigation-guided transnasal transclival endoscopic extended approach was performed for surgical debridement. Histopathological analysis revealed angulated hyphae, suggestive of Aspergillosis. Systemic antifungal treatment was administered for 30 consecutive days. Afterward, she was discharged without any remarkable neurological findings, reassessed during follow-up.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an effect on the reemergence of mycotic infections due to corticosteroid immunosuppression. Clival osteomyelitis secondary to mycotic infection is an exclusion diagnosis that we encourage to be highly suspected within the persisting COVID-19 pandemic.