Disseminated mucormycosis: report of a successfully treated immunosuppressed child with clinical, radiographic and pathological findings.
Disseminated mucormycosis is an uncommon condition with a high mortality rate and is infrequently diagnosed ante mortem. It is most frequently seen in immunosuppressed patients who are at risk for other unusual infections. The radiological features are not specific. We report the case of a 12-year-old girl in second haematological remission who was successfully treated for a brain abscess due to cerebral mucormycosis and for mucormycosis of the kidney which presented as a pyelonephritis. In her first haematological remission she was diagnosed as having a non-specific pneumonitis, which in retrospect may have been due to mucormycosis. Early diagnosis and appropriate management are associated with improved prognosis and require an awareness of the infection and a high index of suspicion.
Celgow
L
L
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Johannesburg Hospital, Private Bag X 39, Johannesburg, South Africa 2000.
Cohn
R J
RJ
Sacks
A J
AJ
D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000382:microbiology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D009091:Mucormycosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000150:complications*; D011704:Pyelonephritis / Q000382:microbiology