[Rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis caused by Rhizopus oryzae.A typical case in a cirrhotic patient]

The rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis is an acute rapidly progressive fungal infection. This disease is caused by a zygomycetes fungus, most often from the Rhizopus genus. This fungus is saprophitic of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. It becomes pathogenic in some particular conditions, specially during diabetes mellitus. Histopathological study is the only method allowing the diagnosis, by revealing the tissue invasion by characteristic hyphae. Mycologic study allows a definitive identification of the fungus. The authors report a case of rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis in a 44 year-old woman with cirrhosis. She presented an acute blindness and ophthalmoplegia. Despite of a rapid histologic diagnosis from the nasal and ethmoidal biopsies, the patient died 3 days after.