Rhino-orbital-cerebral Mucormycosis

Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand. Received for publication: February 7, 2011. Reprint request: Prawat Chantharit, B.Sc.(Pharm), M.D., Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand. INTRODUCTION Mucormycosis (previously called, Zygomycosis) is a known type of an aggressive fungal infection. Recently, it has become increasingly more common with an unacceptably high mortality despite firstline antifungal therapy. Rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis (ROCM), consisting of involvement of sinuses with or without brain/orbits, has accounted for up to half of all cases of mucormycosis.1 With a recent change in the epidemiological trend of the invasive fungal infection, as well as an advance in the knowledge of the pathogenesis of the infection, we aimed to summarize and update the recent knowledge of mucormycosis, focusing on the rhino-orbital-cerebral involvement and the management strategy which potentially improves the treatment outcome of this infection.