Rhinocerebral mucormycosis: a retrospective study.

Mucormycosis is an acute often fatal infection caused by fungi of family mucoracea (Kauffman and Malani Curr Infect Dis Rep 9(6):435-440). The principal pathogens in this family are rhizopus, mucor and absidia species. Mucoracea are found in soil, decaying vegetation and other organic matter. Mucormycosis is a polymorphic disease with diverse clinical manifestation. It is divided into rhinocerebral, pulmonary, cutaneous, cardiac, gastrointestinal and disseminated. Rhinocerebral mucormycosis the most commonest manifestation of mucormycosis is usually a fatal fulminant infection. Rhinocerebral mucormycosis can be further divided into rhino-maxillary and rhino-orbito-cerebral. The disease commonly occur in diabetics who have ketoacidosis but is also seen in severely debilitated or immunosuppressed patients. It has also been reported from otherwise normal individuals. Early diagnosis and treatment is mandatory for a successful management of this infection.