ABSTRACT

Rhinocerebral mucormycosis is a rare, progressive and fatal opportunistic fungal infection. It has high morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis, medical and surgical management is neces-sary for improving prognosis. We reported two cases. Aplastic anemia and acute myeloblastic leukemia were predisposing factors in our cases. Mucormycosis caused ocular movement disorders, amaurosis, proptosis, chemosis and hyperemia on the affected eye in our cases. Furthermore, the first case had trigeminal palsy involving first and second divisions of the nerve due to mucormycosis. We confirmed mucormycosis infection with histopathological examination in both cases. In our first case, magnetic resonans imaging revealed increase of soft tissues in the maxillary, sphenoid and ethmoid sinuses and contrast-enhancement of dura around the affected area and of extraocular muscles on the left side. Orbitoparanasal com-puted tomography of the second case revealed radiopacity involving the left frontal, maxiller, ethmoid, sphenoid sinuses and spotty destruction of bony walls of the left ethmoid sinus. Although we gave prompt antifungal therapy in both cases, they died. Successful treatment of mucormycosis requires early diagnosis, reversal of underlying predisposing risk factors, sur-gical debridement and prompt antifungal therapy.

Keywords: Rhinocerebral mucormycosis, ocular palsy, predisposing factor, early diagnosis, antifungal therapy