title: Successful treatment of primary cerebral mucormycosis: Role of microbiologist.
abstract: Fungal brain abscess is rare with a rapidly progressive disease with fulminant course and invariably fatal outcome, unless diagnosed early and treated rapidly. We report a 56-year-old woman diagnosed to have fungal abscess who recovered completely following amphotericin B treatment. She presented with weakness of the right hand, deviation of mouth to left and aphasia for 2 days. Computed tomography of the brain revealed a left frontal capsuloganglionic hypodense lesion. Stereotactic biopsy was performed, and microbiological confirmation of non-septate fungal hyphae from pus from aspirate within 2 h helped initiate timely and appropriate treatment leading to cure. Histopathology and culture later confirmed mucormycosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuromicrobiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Benachinmardi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rajalakshmi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuromicrobiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Veenakumari
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroimaging and Interventional Radiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Bharath
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vikas
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mahadevan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuromicrobiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagarathna
mesh_terms: D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001706:Biopsy; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D002494:Central Nervous System Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D008828:Microbiological Techniques; D008853:Microscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009091:Mucormycosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D000666:Amphotericin B