TITLE:
A Rare Case of Pulmonary Mucormycosis Successfully Treated with Dual Antifungal Agents and Surgery in a Patient with Uncontrolled Diabetes
AUTHORS:
Vera Clérigo, Lígia Fernandes, Tiago Abreu, Pedro Barradas
KEYWORDS:
Pulmonary Mucormycosis, Diabetes, High Mortality
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Respiratory Diseases,
Vol.6 No.2,
May
24,
2016
ABSTRACT: Pulmonary mucormycosis is an emergent and life-threatening invasive fungal infection underdiagnosed
by clinicians due to unspecific clinical picture and lack of awareness. Although the acknowledgment
of risk factors, clinical and radiological findings may increase early recognition,
the definite diagnosis is challenging to establish and the ideal treatment has never been delineated.
The authors describe a rare case of pulmonary mucormycosis that was successfully treated
with dual antifungal treatment and surgery in a patient with uncontrolled diabetes. When last
evaluated, he was asymptomatic with no evidence of relapse. To our knowledge this is a rare report
of a successfully treated diabetic patient with pulmonary mucormycosis with L-AmB, triazole
posaconazole and surgery with no evidence of recurrence. We highlight the importance of clinicians’
awareness to early diagnosis, combined antifungal treatment and adjuvant surgery as the
greatest chance of cure of a rapidly progressive disease with high mortality and morbidity.