Pulmonary Mucormycosis (Zygomycosis) Presenting as an Infective Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Mucormycosis is a life-threatening fungal infection whose incidence has been rising recently, mainly due to the increasing use of immunosuppressive and corticosteroid treatment. In previous decades, mucormycosis was associated with a very poor prognosis as mortality was approximately 100%. Mortality...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SMC MEDIA SRL
2018-12-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Case Reports in Internal Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.ejcrim.com/index.php/EJCRIM/article/view/995 |
| _version_ | 1819278542522810368 |
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| author | Elena Koushiappi Ilias Porfyridis Christos Karagiannis Tonia Adamide Andreas Georgiou |
| author_facet | Elena Koushiappi Ilias Porfyridis Christos Karagiannis Tonia Adamide Andreas Georgiou |
| author_sort | Elena Koushiappi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mucormycosis is a life-threatening fungal infection whose incidence has been rising recently, mainly due to the increasing use of immunosuppressive and corticosteroid treatment. In previous decades, mucormycosis was associated with a very poor prognosis as mortality was approximately 100%. Mortality rates reported in recent literature have only slightly improved despite the availability of targeted therapy with amphotericin B. Pulmonary mucormycosis is characteristically encountered in severely immunocompromised hosts, while rhino-orbital disease is often seen in individuals with diabetes mellitus. We report a rare case of fulminant pulmonary mucormycosis as an exceptionally rare complication of corticosteroid treatment in a 76-year-old patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and diabetes. The patient had presented with typical symptoms of an infective COPD exacerbation. The interesting aspects of our case were the absence of malignancy or immunosuppression, the isolation of Rhizomucor species, and the fungal invasion of the pleura and pericardium. Unfortunately, our patient died on the 49th day of hospitalisation, despite appropriate treatment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-24T00:13:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-57777065d2334c298bc61a168963569c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2284-2594 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-24T00:13:40Z |
| publishDate | 2018-12-01 |
| publisher | SMC MEDIA SRL |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Case Reports in Internal Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-57777065d2334c298bc61a168963569c2022-12-21T17:24:48ZengSMC MEDIA SRLEuropean Journal of Case Reports in Internal Medicine2284-25942018-12-0110.12890/2018_000995995Pulmonary Mucormycosis (Zygomycosis) Presenting as an Infective Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary DiseaseElena Koushiappi0Ilias Porfyridis1Christos Karagiannis2Tonia Adamide3Andreas Georgiou4Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nicosia General Hospital, CyprusDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Nicosia General Hospital, CyprusDepartment of Microbiology, Nicosia General Hospital, CyprusDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Nicosia General Hospital, CyprusDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Nicosia General Hospital, CyprusMucormycosis is a life-threatening fungal infection whose incidence has been rising recently, mainly due to the increasing use of immunosuppressive and corticosteroid treatment. In previous decades, mucormycosis was associated with a very poor prognosis as mortality was approximately 100%. Mortality rates reported in recent literature have only slightly improved despite the availability of targeted therapy with amphotericin B. Pulmonary mucormycosis is characteristically encountered in severely immunocompromised hosts, while rhino-orbital disease is often seen in individuals with diabetes mellitus. We report a rare case of fulminant pulmonary mucormycosis as an exceptionally rare complication of corticosteroid treatment in a 76-year-old patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and diabetes. The patient had presented with typical symptoms of an infective COPD exacerbation. The interesting aspects of our case were the absence of malignancy or immunosuppression, the isolation of Rhizomucor species, and the fungal invasion of the pleura and pericardium. Unfortunately, our patient died on the 49th day of hospitalisation, despite appropriate treatment.https://www.ejcrim.com/index.php/EJCRIM/article/view/995MucormycosiszygomycosisRhizomucorchronic obstructive pulmonary diseasediabetes mellitus |
| spellingShingle | Elena Koushiappi Ilias Porfyridis Christos Karagiannis Tonia Adamide Andreas Georgiou Pulmonary Mucormycosis (Zygomycosis) Presenting as an Infective Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease European Journal of Case Reports in Internal Medicine Mucormycosis zygomycosis Rhizomucor chronic obstructive pulmonary disease diabetes mellitus |
| title | Pulmonary Mucormycosis (Zygomycosis) Presenting as an Infective Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease |
| title_full | Pulmonary Mucormycosis (Zygomycosis) Presenting as an Infective Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease |
| title_fullStr | Pulmonary Mucormycosis (Zygomycosis) Presenting as an Infective Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pulmonary Mucormycosis (Zygomycosis) Presenting as an Infective Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease |
| title_short | Pulmonary Mucormycosis (Zygomycosis) Presenting as an Infective Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease |
| title_sort | pulmonary mucormycosis zygomycosis presenting as an infective exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |
| topic | Mucormycosis zygomycosis Rhizomucor chronic obstructive pulmonary disease diabetes mellitus |
| url | https://www.ejcrim.com/index.php/EJCRIM/article/view/995 |
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