Gastric Mucormycosis as a Cause of Life-Threatening Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding in a Trauma Patient

Abstract

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Gastrointestinal Mucormycosis Resulting in a Catastrophic Outcome in an Immunocompetent Patient

“…Surgical intervention for disseminated infections is a grade CIII recommendation. 20 These recommendations do not specifically address GI infections or invasive infections, as in our case.…”

“…Other antifungals, such as fluconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole, echinocandins, flucytosine, terbinafine are not currently supported for use in the treatment of mucormycosis. 20 Cresemba (isavuconazonium sulfate), ergosterol inhibitor, was recently approved for the treatment of invasive mucormycosis and aspergillosis that offers an extended spectrum antifungal activity with promising early study results. 22.23 These findings provide an avenue for more research into GI mucormycosis in immunocompetent adults in the future, as well as for guidelines for adequate treatment.…”

Invasive gastric mucormycosis: A case report of a deadly complication in an immunocompromised patient after penetrating trauma

“…Unfortunately, the tissue diagnosis was not obtained until after the patient’s condition had deteriorated. To date, there have only been four case reports of invasive Mucormycosis involving trauma patients that presented either as a cutaneous lesion or as a GI bleed [14] , [15] , [16] , [17] . We emphasize the importance of having a high clinical suspicion to obtain early histopathologic diagnosis of this rare disease to initiate the proper treatment of surgical debridement, intravenous antifungals, and improve outcomes from this deadly infection.…”

A Rare Cause of Massive Upper Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage in Immunocompromised Host

“…Most of the cases of gastrointestinal mucormycosis were reported from the tropics; however, the disease is increas­ingly becoming an iatrogenic and/or nosocomial problem in industrialized nations [ 7 ] and recent studies have reported dramatic increase in the incidence of mucormycosis [ 22 - 24 ]. Very few cases of gastrointestinal mucormycosis affecting adults have been reported in the United States [ 6 , 7 , 25 ].…”