Retrospective Analysis of Clinico-Epidemiological Profile of COVID 19 Associated Mucormycosis Patients: A Single Centre Experience in Southern Haryana

Abstract

Background: A number of factors were supposed to be involved in very high rate of mucormycosis infectionin COVID 19 patients like the reduced immunity because of COVID infection itself along with use of steroids,administration of supplemental oxygen, worsening glycemic control. This retrospective study has been undertaken to analyse the clinical and demographic profile of patients and various other factors that were involved in development of mucormycosis.Material and Methods: This was retrospective observational study in which all patients admitted were eithersuspected but came out to be negative or which were culture or histopathological proven mucormycosis cases.The data was analysed for demographic as well as clinical profile of the patients and various risk factors involved.Results: Total 52 patients were included in the study. All of these were rhinoorbitocerebral mucormycosis patients.The mean age of mucor positive patients was 47.3 years with male to female ratio as 5:1. The comparison of risk factors among mucor positive and mucor negative patients showed that out of 30 mucor positive patients there were 18 (60%) patients with confirmed report of COVID 19 infection, 22 (73.3%) diabetic patients, 17 (56.7%)patients with recent history of steroid treatment and 11 (36.7%) patients with history of recent oxygen therapy.Conclusion: In this study there was no statistically significant association between specific risk factors and mucorpositivity, emphasizing the multifactorial nature of mucormycosis. Further research is necessary to evaluate the complex relationship between COVID-19 infection and other factors in the development of mucormycosis.