A rare case of post-COVID mucormycosis of the kidney

Abstract

Post-COVID mucormycosis of the kidney is a rare phenomenon with only very few cases reported, worldwide. Among the various opportunistic fungal infections, mucormycosis is associated with the highest mortality. Here, we report a rare case of post-COVID–recovered right renal mucormycosis with emphysematous pyelonephritis with pulmonary mucormycosis. A 34-year-old male patient status post-COVID–recovered developed pain in the right lumbar region and, on evaluation, was found to have right renal mucormycosis with left pulmonary mucormycosis with sepsis and was not improving with amphotericin B and intravenous antibiotics. Decision was taken to proceed with surgery, and the patient underwent right open subcapsular nephrectomy along with left lobectomy. Biopsy report suggested it to be mucormycosis of the kidney with angioinvasion along with interstitial inflammation and granular casts in the tubules. This case highlights the possibility of mucormycosis involving the kidney in the recovery phase and the need of urgent nephrectomy in case of sepsis, especially if associated with emphysematous pyelonephritis.