Mucormycosis of the Central Nervous System in the Background of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Absence of Antifungal Medication-An Audit of 2 Very Difficult Months in a Tertiary Care Centre in Southern India
Mucor of the intracranial compartment is a rare and devastating infection commonly seen in debilitated patients. The infection commonly enters through the orbit or through the paranasal sinuses through diploic vessels or through skull base osteomyelitis secondary to sinusitis. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the widespread use of steroids reduced effective immunity of various normally immunocompetent individuals. This saw a veritable avalanche of mucor infections in COVID affected and post COVID-19 infected patients. The presentations were different from the commonly seen routes of entry and presented in different and unique ways. The severity was worsened due to the lack of availability of amphotericin B required for the treatment of the infection. Many of the patients succumbed to their ordeal despite repeated surgical debridement and abscess evacuations. We present a representation of unusual mucor infections of the brain seen during the second COVID-19 wave in India, where an unprecedented number of infections were seen overwhelming the health facilities of all major centres in India.
Keywords: Mucormycosis, COVID-19, Pandemic, Antifungal Medication
Citation: Ganapathy S, Gangoli D, Raykar R, Rao SAV. “Mucormycosis of the Central Nervous System in the Background of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Absence of Antifungal Medication – An Audit of 2 Very Difficult Months in a Tertiary Care Centre in Southern India”. SVOA Neurology 2:5 (2021) Pages 148-154.
