Mucormycosis - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Mucormycosis form of mucormycosis typically affects people whose immune system is weakened by disease, such as uncontrolled diabetes. The iron-rhizoferrin complex is then taken back into the fungus, and the iron becomes available for vital intracellular processes. The presumed way in which the fungus attacks compromised individuals is fascinating. Mucormycosis is an opportunistic infection that typically develops in patients with weakened immune systems, diabetes, kidney failure, organ transplants, or chemotherapy. Mucormycosis in the lungs causes fever, cough, and sometimes breathing difficulty. If the patient has mucormycosis, however, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography scans (CT scans) will usually show the destruction of soft tissue or bone in patients with advanced disease.

Mucormycosis is a fungal infection of the sinuses, brain, or lungs that occurs primarily in people with immune disorders. The zygomycetes are a class of fungi that can cause a variety of infections in humans. Many reported cases have been poorly controlled diabetics. 'Synonyms' are zygomycosis or phycomycosis. Mucormycosis is described almost exclusively in patients with compromised immune systems or metabolic abnormalities. As far as is known, mucormycosis affects members of either race, although the pulmonary form of the disease is somewhat more common in men than in women. Diabetic patients are predisposed to mucormycosis because of the decreased ability of their neutrophils to phagocytize and adhere to endothelial walls.

Causes of Mucormycosis

Common causes and risk factor's of Mucormycosis include the following :

• Apophysomyces.
• Cunninghamella bertholletiae.
• Absidia .
• Rhizomucor pusillus.

Symptoms of Mucormycosis

Some of the common sign and symptoms of the disease Mucormycosis are as follows:

• Acute sinusitis.
• Fever.
• Abdominal pain.
• Eye swelling.
• Redness of skin overlying sinuses.
• Coughing blood .
• Shortness of breath.
• Flank pain.
• Dark nasal eschar.

Treatment of Mucormycosis

Find effective treatment methods of treating Mucormycosis :

• Treatment is usually begun without waiting for laboratory reports because of the rapid spread and high mortality rate of the disease. It includes intravenous amphotericin B.
• However, chances of survival are greatly decreased without this aggressive intervention.
• Treatment is usually begun without waiting for laboratory reports because of the rapid spread and high mortality rate of the disease.
• The mainstay of treatment for mucormycosis is early surgical intervention to remove all dead and infected tissue, along with intravenous antifungal therapy.