title: Mucormycosis: what emergency physicians need to know?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mucormycosis is a rare presentation for patients in the emergency department (ED), primarily affecting immunocompromised patients. Multiple forms of infection are present, and with poor prognosis, ED diagnosis and treatment of this deadly condition are necessary.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the presentations and forms of mucormycosis, diagnosis, and treatment of this deadly disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This review provides background on the fungi causing mucormycosis, which are prevalent in nature. The article discusses the risk factors for infection with mucormycosis, as normal hosts are able to clear the disease, but immunocompromised and diabetic patients are at risk for organism inoculation and spread. The fungi are angioinvasive and cause necrosis. This article describes the various forms of the disease: rhino-orbital-cerebral, pulmonary, central nervous system, gastrointestinal, renal, disseminated, and cutaneous. Finally, this review evaluates diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Emergency department diagnosis and treatment are necessary in patients with infection with mucormycosis. Physicians should be suspicious of this disease in immunocompromised and diabetic patients. Treatment requires antifungal agents such as amphotericin B and surgical debridement. Prognosis is poor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, San Antonio Military Medical Center, Houston, TX 78234. Electronic address: brit.long@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Brit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390. Electronic address: akoyfman8@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koyfman
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003646:Debridement; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D009091:Mucormycosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents