title: Long-term posaconazole treatment and follow-up of rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis in a diabetic girl.
abstract: To demonstrate that the 2-yr clinical follow-up of our patient strongly suggests that long-term therapy with posaconazole (POS) is safe and beneficial in treatment and prevention of relapses of, otherwise fatal, central nervous system mucormycosis. Mucormycosis is a very rare opportunistic mycotic infection of diabetic children. We present the 30-month follow-up of a 12-yr-old girl affected by diabetic ketoacidotic coma, complicated by rhinocerebral mucormycosis and successfully treated with POS at the initial daily dose of 5 mg/kg t.i.d. with fatty food for 3 wk, followed by a daily dose of 10 mg/kg in four doses for 2 months and then 20 mg/kg/d in four doses for 16 months and in two doses for further 5 months. The previous amphotericin B, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, hyperbaric oxygen and nasal and left maxillary sinus surgical debridement therapy was ineffective in stopping the progression of the infection to the brain. The patient improved within 10 d with reduced ocular swelling and pain, and 6 months after therapy stop, she is in good health and cultures are sterile. This article demonstrates that POS may be a useful drug in mucormycosis in children. We also strongly draw the attention to the main preventive procedure against invasive fungal infection that is the correct management of antidiabetic therapy that prevents the predisposing temporary neutrophils activity deficit, contributing to a better survival rate of diabetic children.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Department, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy. luigi.tarani@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tarani
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Costantino
authors.forename: Gundula
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Notheis
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wintergerst
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Venditti
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Biasi
authors.forename: Donata
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Friederici
authors.forename: Anna Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pasquino
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D002648:Child; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D016883:Diabetic Ketoacidosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D009091:Mucormycosis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009668:Nose Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D009916:Orbital Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014230:Triazoles / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D014230:Triazoles; C101425:posaconazole