Rhinocerebral Mucormycosis: An Emerging Threat in the Era of COVID-19

Abstract

Mucormycosis is a rare but aggressive and fatal infection that is prevalent in immunocompromised patients. The variation in its clinical presentation and the lack of specificity are misleading and lead to a delay in the diagnosis and management. However, the era of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is marked by the increasing emergence of Mucor infections, now identified as coronavirus-associated mucormycosis (CAM). Although many clinical forms exist, the most encountered in CAM is rhino-orbito-cerebral, as already reported in India. We present a case of a 56-year-old male patient with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and a history of recent SARS-CoV-2 infection treated with IV steroids, presenting for maxillary teeth pain and instability on day 16 of COVID-19 infection. Early diagnosis of CAM is crucial and will help decrease mortality in COVID-19 patients, especially those with comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus. Increasing cases of CAM should prompt clinicians to have a high index of suspicion for rhinocerebral mucormycosis, especially in patients with risk factors receiving steroid therapy. In such patients, baseline glycosylated hemoglobin level and strict glycemic control by frequently measuring blood glucose levels and strictly adhering to insulin protocols would be rational but its efficacy in limiting the numbers of CAM in developing countries still needs to be confirmed.