Treatment of Cutaneous Mucormycosis in Patients with Corticosteroid Treatment After Trauma

Objective: Mucormycosis is an infrequent opportunistic fungal infection which may cause an aggressive and invasive soft tissue necrosis. It is usually developed in patients with immune system deficiency, and rarely seen in immunocompetant patients.  We report prognosis and treatment of the immunocompetant patients that developed facial cutaneous mucormycosis after short term corticosteroid therapy.

Material and Method: The patients who were admitted to Manisa Celal Bayar University Hospital after multitrauma and given short term corticosteroids due to cranial and spinal injuries and became immuncompromised and diagnosed as facial cutaneous mucormycosis between 2016 and 2018 were included in the study. Prognosis, medical and surgical treatment outcomes of therapy is reported.

Results: One patient with malar and maxillary involvement was treated with medical therapy and serial debridements and infection was cured. Reconstruction with free flaps were done, acceptable functional and aesthetic results were achieved. Two patients had adequate therapy and reconstructed with local flaps.   One patient was not operated due to recurrent fungal osteomyelitis and intracranial inflammatory findings, and regression in MRI was seen.

Conclusion: Mucormycosis should be kept in mind in contaminated wound infections in patients who have been treated with corticosteroids even for a short time after multitrauma. Rapid, repetitive and aggressive debridemants should be performed and reconstruction should be planned after cure of the fungi.