Korean J Otolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  2001 Jun;44(6):666-670.

Two Cases of Rhino-orbito-cerebral Mucormycosis

• Jeon EJ
• Park Y
• Park YS
• Jeong I

Abstract

Mucormycosis is an acute, fatal infection caused by fungi of the family mucoraceae. The disease invariably occurs in diabetics, usually with ketoacidosis or immunocompromised patients. Typical initial symptoms of a patient with rhinocerebral mucormycosis are facial pain and swelling, headache, fever, and blood-tinged rhinorrhea. Symptoms rapidly progress to facial or orbital cellulitis, proptosis, and visual loss. Patients often may have infraorbital numbness, corneal anesthesia and facial nerve palsy. Recently, we experienced two cases of rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis with atypical initial presentations. One case is a 54-year-old male, who had suddenly developed left facial palsy and periorbital swelling. The other is a 61-year-old female, who had right periorbital painful swelling with visual loss for 1 day. Herein we report the clinical courses and symptoms of these patients with literature review. Initial symptoms in making early diagnosis of rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis are emphasized.

Keyword

Mucormycosis; Facial paralysis; Blindness

MeSH Terms

Anesthesia
Blindness
Early Diagnosis
Exophthalmos
Facial Nerve
Facial Pain
Facial Paralysis
Female
Fever
Fungi
Headache
Humans
Hypesthesia
Immunocompromised Host
Ketosis
Male
Middle Aged
Mucormycosis*
Orbital Cellulitis
Paralysis