A man aged 70 years who had diabetes for 12 years presented with an ulcer that had been on his right cheek for 5 days and had prevented him from opening his right eye for the past 3 days. He was from an impoverished family and came from a very remote area of Puducherry, India. Since being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, he had received only irregular treatment because he was unable to aff ord the necessary drugs; his HbA1c was 11% (96·7 mmol/mol). He had a 3·2 cm long, slough-covered ulcer on his right cheek and had completely lost vision in his right eye. The histopathological examination revealed broad wide-angled aseptate hyphae with thrombosis of blood vessels and necrosis—typical of mucormycosis. The patient was treated with surgical debridement of the necrotic tissue and given intravenous amphotericin B. However, 5 days after admission, his conscious level deteriorated, suggestive of intracranial extension, and he died 2 days later. Many people in India are not aware of the risk factors, symptoms, and treatment of diabetes, so many patients seek treatment only when complications develop. Mucormycosis is a rare complication seen in patients with untreated diabetes. The morbidity and mortality associated with this complication are further magnifi ed by the scarcity of skilled doctors in many areas.
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