Incidence of Mucormycosis in a Tertiary Care Hospital During Covid First Wave-A Retrospective Study

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Infectious Diseases
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Rhino orbital cerebral mucormycosis (ROCM) is a rare, aggressive, and life-threatening fungal infection.
• It predominantly affects immunocompromised individuals, particularly those with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus.
• Prompt diagnosis and intervention are critical for patient survival.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of aggressive medical and surgical management for ROCM in non-COVID, diabetic patients.
• To highlight the importance of early recognition and multidisciplinary treatment approaches.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary care center.
• Thirty non-COVID, diabetic patients diagnosed with ROCM were included.
• Treatment involved intensive surgical debridement, strict diabetic management, and systemic antifungal therapy (amphotericin B).

Main Results:

• All 30 patients treated with the aggressive multimodal approach showed significant improvement.
• No mortality was reported in the study cohort.
• Successful outcomes were achieved through combined medical and surgical interventions.

Conclusions:

• Aggressive and timely medical (antifungal, glycemic control) and surgical (debridement) management is highly effective in treating rhino orbital cerebral mucormycosis.
• Early diagnosis and prompt intervention are crucial to prevent severe morbidity and mortality associated with this devastating infection.
• Diabetic patients are at high risk and require vigilant monitoring for mucormycosis.