Mucormycotic parotitis and otitis causing facial nerve palsy in a diabetic patient

Abstract

Mucormycosis of the parotid with facial nerve palsy is an uncommon manifestation of this fungal infection. Mucor is an angioinvasive and angiodestructive organism which can cause fatal infection in patients with altered immunity like Diabetes Mellitus and Hematological malignancies. It is essential to include it in the differential diagnosis to avoid delays in the treatment.

A rare case of parotid mucormycosis diagnosed on aspiration cytology

“…Facial nerve palsy occurs rarely with rhinocerebral mucormycosis 15 . It has also been reported previously in a single case of mucormycosis with parotiditis and otitis 3 . However, the exact pathogenesis remains unclear.…”

“…The first case of parotid mucormycosis was reported in 1987 by MacDonell et al with only a few cases reported in the literature since then 1,3,7,12‐14 . Invasion into the parotid gland may occur from neighbouring sites such as the paranasal sinuses or from overlying cutaneous lesion 14 .…”

“…Mucormycosis is an uncommon, frequently fatal infection presenting with a clinical spectrum of cutaneous to disseminated infections amongst which rhino‐ cerebral and pulmonary forms have the highest incidence 1,2 . Parotid mucormycosis remains a rarely reported entity in literature 3 . This infection is most commonly noted in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) or other underlying immunosuppressive states 4,5 .…”

Facial neuritis in coronavirus disease 2019 associated mucormycosis: study on clinico-radiological correlates

“…4 In cases with isolated involvement of the parotid gland by mucormycosis leading to mucor parotitis, facial nerve palsy has been reported in the literature. 5,6 . https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022215121003510…”

“… 4 Facial nerve palsy has been reported in cases with isolated involvement of the parotid gland by mucormycosis, leading to Mucor parotitis. 5 , 6 …”