Title
An atypical case of fatal zygomycosis: simultaneous cutaneous and laryngeal infection in a patient with a non-neutropenic solid prostatic tumor
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Pathology
Date
4-15-2008
Document Type
Article
Medical Subject Headings
Aged; Dermatomycoses; Fatal Outcome; Humans; *Immunocompromised Host; Laryngeal Diseases; Male; Mucormycosis; Pharyngeal Diseases; Prostatic Neoplasms; Rhizopus
Disciplines
Pathology
Abstract
We describe what we believe is the first reported case of simultaneous highly invasive cutaneous and laryngopharyngeal zygomycosis in a non-neutropenic, nondiabetic but immunosuppressed patient with prostate cancer. An invasive fungal process was not suspected until late in the patient's hospital course; when it was, a tracheotomy and direct laryngoscopic biopsies were performed. Unresectable invasive zygomycosis with Rhizopus rhizopodiformis was diagnosed. The patient was managed with liposomal amphotericin B initially and later with palliative medical therapy until he died. This case emphasizes the need for a rapid and specific diagnosis with timely introduction of appropriate antifungal management, particularly now that voriconazole is frequently used as empiric prophylaxis against aspergillosis in high-risk patients.
Rights and Permissions
Citation: Ear Nose Throat J. 2008 Mar;87(3):152-5.