title: Mucormycosis: a challenge for diagnosis and treatment--2 case reports and review of literature.
abstract: To present two clinical rare case reports of mucormycosis, an opportunistic fungal infection of maxilla presenting as necrosis in palate. The cases reported were two females with known immunodefficeancies. One patient was uncontrolled type 1 diabetic and the other was acute myloid leukemic patient on chemotherapy. Both the patients showed necrosis of hard palate. After histopathologic and culture report confirmation with a diagnosis of mucormycosis, they underwent surgical resection of involved bone and amphotericin B therapy. There was complete cure of disease. The oral physicians and surgeons play an important role in early detection of disease. Apt multimodal treatment strategy and prophylaxis for mucormycosis in all immune-deficient patients will help us to combat this dreaded disease. The antifungal prophylaxis for all chemotherapy patients should be reviewed so that prophylaxis for mucormycosis should also be included.
authors.affiliation: Assistant consultant, Maxillofacial Surgery, King Abdullah Medical City, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; e-mail: dr_syed03@yahoo.co.in.
authors.forename: Syed Kowsar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Ahamed
authors.forename: Yasser
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Al Thobaiti