Poster session 2, September 22, 2022, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Background: Rhizopus, Rhizomucor, and Mucor species are renowned agents causing rhinocerebral mucormycosis; a disease with a high mortality rate. Saksenaea vasiformis is extremely rarely observed in this clinical entity. Minimal sporulation in common laboratory media might be responsible for the under-reporting of this organism. Here we present an uncommon case of rhinocerebral mucormycosis due to S. vasiformis. in a Sri Lankan patient with diabetes mellitus. Case History: A 66-year-old female with diabetes mellitus was admitted with frontal headache, right-sided nasal block, anosmia, and right-side facial swelling. Examination revealed facial edema, maxillary sinus tenderness, and a white patch over the hard palate. Thick pus in postnasal space, growth in posterior tongue base, inflamed palate, and oropharynx, were revealed by rigid nasal endoscopy. She developed ophthalmoplegia along with right V and XII cranial nerve palsies irrespective of antibacterial therapy. Right side pansinusitis was observed in non-contrast computed tomography. She was subjected to right-side full house functional endoscopic sinus surgery with right orbital and optic nerve decompression. Irregular wide, ribbon-like, non-septate hyphae suggestive of Zygomycete fungi were observed in the direct microscopy of a deep surgical tissue sample and started with intravenous amphotericin B. After 5 days of incubation, the culture grew a zygomycetes-like mold with a lack of sporulation on Sabouraud dextrose agar, potato dextrose agar, and slide culture. However, the floating agar technique succeeded in producing flasks-shaped sporangium on a short sporangiophore with brown pigmented rhizoids after 14 days of incubation. The phenotypic features were suggestive of S. vasiformis. She was subjected to repeated debridement surgeries and treatment with amphotericin B was continued. She was clinically improving however, refractory hypokalemia along with hypernatremia interrupted her antifungal therapy resulting return of severe symptoms. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the brain revealed multiple micro-abscesses in the right temporal lobe. She clinically deteriorated and succumbed to the illness. Discussion: Saksenaea vasiformis, a member of Mucorales, is largely bounded to cutaneous and subcutaneous infections. Rhino-orbital-cerebral infection is relatively uncommon and most of the reported cases were fatal irrespective of optimal therapy. Prompt diagnosis through fungal investigations of deep biopsy is mandatory. The delayed identification of this organism is attributed to its nature of poor sporulation on routine media. Special culture techniques and nutritionally deprived media enhance sporulation. Saksenaea vasiformis is usually sensitive to amphotericin B, high minimum inhibitory concentration has been reported though. Conclusion Specific culture techniques should be used to induce sporulation if non-sporulating mucormycetes are encountered. Rhinocerebral mucormycosis is associated with a high degree of mortality even with effective antifungal therapy.

Objectives 1. Evaluate the clinical signs and their correlation to Computed Tomography(CT) findings 2. Assess the correlation between CT and intra-operative findings. 3. To identify implicated microorganisms. 4. Evaluate the current practice in surgical management. Methodology A descriptive retrospective study conducted at Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH) on 19 patients who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery, drainage of pus and orbital decompression for radiologically suspected orbital complications of acute rhinosinusitis from 01/01/2015 to 31/12/2018. Results Clinical features were fever (73.7%), peri-orbital swelling (100%), chemosis(68.4%), proptosis(57.9%) and ophthalmoplegia(42.1%). Chemosis and ophthalmoplegia were found in 62% and 37% of the patients with intra-orbital abscesses, with only chemosis showing a statistically significant association. CT was suggestive of subperiosteal abscess or inflammation in all. Intra-operatively abscesses were found in 16 (84.2%). Of these 6 had both subperiosteal and intra-orbital abscesses. Eight had subperiosteal abscesses. Two had only intra-orbital abscesses. The CT scan failed to predict the presence of abscess within the orbital fat in 3 out of 8. The positive predictive value was 89.4% for CT to detect orbital abscesses. An Intra-operative bony defect was noted in 15.8%. The mean surgery duration was 2.04 hours. Cultures revealed MRSA(21.1%), MSSA(15.8%), Pseudomonas(10.5%), mixed growth(10.6%) and Streptococcus viridans(5.3%). Conclusion The commonest presentations were peri-orbital swelling, fever, chemosis. MRSA and pseudomonas being the commonest organism, the appropriate empirical therapy needs further discussion. Endoscopic surgery is safe, reliable and cosmetic. As patients with intra-orbital abscesses may not be detected clinically or radiologically, we recommend routine incision of the orbital periosteum for suspected orbital complications of acute rhinosinusitis when undergoing endoscopic surgery.