title: Primary gangrenous cutaneous mucormycosis of the scalp in a child: a case report.
abstract: Primary cutaneous mucormycosis (MM) is a rare fungal infection of childhood and is most often encountered in immunocompromised patients. It is a potentially lethal opportunistic fungal infection with rapid progression and high mortality. A report of cutaneous MM involving the head region is very rare. We herein report a case of primary cutaneous MM in a malnourished patient. The infection progressed rapidly, and the infant died from infection. The diagnosis was made at postmortem examination. Early diagnosis and surgery should be undertaken to prevent fatal outcome, and complete study of the etiologic agent must be carried out in all cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Intensive Care, School of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey. esad@erciyes.edu.tr
authors.forename: Esad
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Koklu
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akcakus
authors.forename: Yasemin Altuner
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Torun
authors.forename: Sebahat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tulpar
authors.forename: Arzu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tasdemir
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005734:Gangrene; D006801:Humans; D009091:Mucormycosis / Q000473:pathology*; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000209:etiology; D009336:Necrosis; D012535:Scalp / Q000473:pathology*; D012536:Scalp Dermatoses / Q000473:pathology*