Mucormycosis in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Individuals: A Systematic Review of Case Reports

Mucormycosis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is uncommon; notably, many cases have additional predisposing factors. Whether mucormycosis differs in HIV-affected individuals with and without additional risk factors (e.g., neutropenia, diabetes mellitus, and transplantation) remains unclear. In this systematic review, we identified 94 cases of HIV and mucormycosis classifiable into three groups: (1) HIV with additional risk factors (n = 50), (2) intravenous drug users (IVDU, n = 24), and (3) no other risk factor (n = 19) for mucormycosis. The most common presentation in IVDU was renal (41.7%) and cerebral mucormycosis (39.2%), whereas rhino-orbital mucormycosis (ROM, 4.2%) was uncommon. In the other two groups, ROM was the most common presentation. Rhizopus was the most frequently isolated Mucorales; however, in IVDU, Lichtheimia was the most common. The overall mortality was 53% and not significantly different in the three groups. Mucormycosis in HIV-infected individuals is rare without additional risk factors or IVDU.