Acute invasive rhinocerebral zygomycosis in an otherwise healthy patient: case report and review

Clin Infect Dis. 1995 Jan;20(1):163-6. doi: 10.1093/clinids/20.1.163.

Abstract

A previously healthy 19-year-old man developed rapidly progressive invasive rhinocerebral zygomycosis due to Apophysomyces elegans. He required extensive surgery and prolonged treatment with high-dose i.v. amphotericin B for cure. This is only the third reported case of acute invasive rhinocerebral zygomycosis in an otherwise healthy patient and the first reported case of infection due to A. elegans in any patient. We review the literature and clinical spectrum of rhinocerebral zygomycosis in otherwise healthy patients and discuss the recently recognized association between A. elegans and zygomycosis in immunocompetent patients.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Amphotericin B / therapeutic use
  • Brain Diseases / drug therapy
  • Brain Diseases / etiology*
  • Brain Diseases / surgery
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mucorales / isolation & purification
  • Mucorales / pathogenicity
  • Mucormycosis / drug therapy
  • Mucormycosis / etiology*
  • Mucormycosis / surgery
  • Nose Diseases / drug therapy
  • Nose Diseases / etiology*
  • Nose Diseases / surgery

Substances

  • Amphotericin B