Mucormycosis in patients without cancer: a case series from A tertiary care hospital in South India.
BACKGROUND
Mucormycosis (Zygomycosis) is a life-threatening infection. We attempted to analyse clinical features and risk factors of Mucormycosis cases in a tertiary care referral institution in India, in patients without underlying malignancy.


METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed data of patients diagnosed as having Mucormycosis over a 10 year period of 2000-2010. Patients with a histopathology report and/or a Microbiology report of Zygomycetes or Mucor from a biopsy specimen were included in the study.


RESULTS
Out of the 27 cases, rhino-orbital/rhino-cerebral involvement occurred in 12 (44.4%) patients, pulmonary involvement in 3 (11.1%) cases, soft tissue involvement in 11 (40.7%) cases and gastrointestinal involvement in one patient (3.7%). Diabetes mellitus is the main risk factor, followed by renal failure and trauma. Mean ESR value of these patients was 118 mm/1 hour. Mean WBC count was 20 x 10(9)/L, and neutrophil count 82%. The mean absolute neutrophil count (ANC) was 16.8 x 10(9)/L.


CONCLUSIONS
The interesting finding in our study was the presence of neutrophilic leucocytosis and high ESR in most of the patients. In a predisposed individual, especially in a diabetic, in countries with high environmental fungal burden; presence of high ESR and neutrophilic leucocytosis with a compatible clinical presentation should raise suspicion of Mucormycosis.
Department of Infectious Diseases, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, India.
A
A
Ghafur
Department of Infectious Diseases, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, India.
P S
PS
Shareek
Department of Infectious Diseases, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, India.
Nambi P
NP
Senthur
Department of Infectious Diseases, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, India.
P R
PR
Vidyalakshmi
Department of Infectious Diseases, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, India.
V
V
Ramasubramanian
Department of Pathology, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, India.
Ashok
A
Parameswaran
Department of Microbiology, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, India.
M A
MA
Thirunarayan
Department of Infectious Diseases, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, India.
R
R
Gopalakrishnan
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D009091:Mucormycosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D063128:Tertiary Health Care