Mucormycosis

Abstract

Mucormycosis is a rapidly progressive, invasive fungal infection that affects patients who are severely immunocompromised, as well as patients with diabetes and persons with immunocompetence who have major trauma. Mucormycosis manifests in several clinical forms, including sino-orbital, rhinocerebral, sinopulmonary, gastrointestinal, cutaneous, musculoskeletal, osteoarticular, and disseminated mucormycosis, as well as single-organ disease. Although mucormycosis is often lethal, early intervention reduces mortality. Successful treatment depends on early detection and staging of the disease, timely initiation of antifungal therapy, surgical resection of infected tissue, reversal of immunodeficiencies, and correction of metabolic abnormalities. Liposomal amphotericin B is the preferred agent for initial antifungal therapy, with oral triazoles as alternative agents. Research on rapid molecular diagnostic strategies, new antifungal agents, host-directed immune augmentation, antivirulence immune therapeutics, and risk-based stratification to inform management of disease may substantially improve outcomes in patients with this highly destructive mycosis.