Korean J Gastrointest Endosc.  2002 Jan;24(1):29-34.

A Case of Gastric Mucormycosis Associated with Diabetes Mellitus and Alcoholic Hepatitis

• Kim BS
• Jung SW
• Kim SH
• Seo SM
• Baek HJ
• Lee SM

Abstract

Mucormycosis is a rare, fulminating, opportunistic fungal infection that occurs almost exclusively in immunocompromised hosts such as patients with diabetes, leukemia, lymphoma. These fungi are ubiquitous in nature, and can be found on decaying vegetation and in the soil. So they are relatively frequent contaminants in the clinical microbiology laboratory. Recently the incidence of mucormycosis is rising associated with the increasing use of immunosuppressive agents, antibiotics. Though mucormycosis is frequently fatal, there has been a significant improvement in the outcome by early diagnosis and aggressive treatment. Mucormycosis can be categorized as rhinocerebral, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, cutaneous, widely disseminated and miscellaneous; gastro-intestinal involvement is extremely rare. We report a patient with gastric mucormycosis who had diabetes mellitus and alcoholic hepatitis. His chief complaint was an epigastric pain, and the gastroscopy showed huge multiple ulcers, coated with exudates. The histologic examination revealed multiple broad, nonseptate hyphae with right angle branchings, diagnosed as mucormycosis.

Keyword

Gastric mucormycosis; Diabetes mellitus; Alcoholic hepatitis

MeSH Terms

Alcoholics*
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Diabetes Mellitus*
Early Diagnosis
Exudates and Transudates
Fungi
Gastroscopy
Hepatitis, Alcoholic*
Humans
Hyphae
Immunocompromised Host
Immunosuppressive Agents
Incidence
Leukemia
Lymphoma
Mucormycosis*
Soil
Ulcer
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Immunosuppressive Agents
Soil