[Imaging of serious visceral forms of mucormycosis in five immunodepressed patients].
OBJECTIVE
Show the contribution of imaging to the diagnosis and follow-up of serious mucormycosis in immunodepressed patients.


METHODS
Retrospective analysis of the 5-year radiological data in serious forms of mucormycosis occurring in patients with bone marrow allografts who are in refractory chronic graft-versus-host disease after bone marrow transplantation from 2002 to 2005. The positive diagnosis was bacteriologically and pathologically positive in all cases.


RESULTS
This study involved three patients with isolated pulmonary involvement and two cases of disseminated mucormycosis. Areas of pulmonary condensations were found in all cases, one of whom had a low-attenuation zone and parenchymal nodules. The kidney, liver, and spleen lesions were clearly limited, hypoechogenic, hypodense, and homogenous with no peripheral contrast material uptake. There was thyroid involvement in the form of hypoechogenic nodules. Rapid growth of the lesions was observed on follow-up CT (n=3) and despite surgical treatment (n=2) and intensive medical management, all cases ended in death.


CONCLUSIONS
Mucormycosis is an integral part of the differential diagnosis of infectious syndromes in immunodepressed patients during the period after bone marrow transplantation. Imaging can assist in the diagnosis but pathological confirmation remains indispensable.
Sheibanifar
M
M
Service de Radiologie, Hôpital d'Enfants, CHU de Nancy Brabois, 54511 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France.
Guerin
A L
AL
Clement
L
L
Champigneulle
J
J
Mainard
L
L
Mandry
D
D
Bordigoni
P
P
Claudon
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008297:Male; D009091:Mucormycosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000276:immunology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography