Mucormycosis of the head and neck

Abstract

Mucormycosis is a rare clinical entity, often affecting immunocompromised patients. It is often an emergency situation and has poor prognosis. In head-and-neck region, mucormycosis spread by angioinvasion and may present with sinonasal, rhino-orbito-cerebral, palatal, cutaneous, or disseminated involvement. Prompt diagnosis with tissue biopsy, local control of the disease by aggressive surgical debridement, and appropriate systemic antifungal treatment improve the prognosis and survival of the patients. Treatment of mucormycosis needs antifungal agents such as amphotericin B and wide surgical debridement. Early diagnosis and treatment is often needed for survival of the patients. This paper will review the etiopathogenesis, epidemiology, clinical presentations, investigations, and treatment of the dreaded fungal infections called mucormycosis in the head-and-neck region.