A 17-year-old student with ankle sprain to leg amputation

Cutaneous mucormycosis with ischemic complications is a life-threatening condition with high mortality rates, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. The incidence of mucormycosis has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic due to reduced immunity. We present the case of a 17-year-old high school student who experienced a sprained left lower extremity, followed by worsening pain and swelling due to the topical application of unknown local herbs. Eighteen days after the injury, she was admitted to our department in a comatose state with left lower limb ischemia. The patient had a history of uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and displayed a necrotic lesion on her left ankle, suggestive of invasive infectious fungi disease. Diagnostic procedures, including tissue staining and molecular analysis, identified Rhizopus oryzae as the causative organism. Administering amphotericin B yielded marked improvement, but the patient necessitated a mid-thigh amputation to curtail the infection's advance, culminating in her successful discharge post-treatment.