Ileocolonic mucormycosis in adult immunocompromised patients: A surgeon's perspective

Abstract

We report three cases of ileocolic mucormycosis in adult immunocompromised patients presenting as acute abdomen. All patients underwent laparotomy but two of them died from multiorgan failure before the diagnoses were confirmed. The diagnosis of gastrointestinal mucormycosis is rarely suspected, and antemortem diagnosis is made in only 25%-50% of cases. These cases illustrate the difficulty encountered by surgeons in managing acute abdomen in neutropenic patients with hematological malignancy. The management of colonic mucormycosis in the published literature is also reviewed. © 2010 Baishideng. All rights reserved.