Fatal rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis infection associated with diabetic ketoacidosis post-COVID-19
Paula Bonates Bessa, Guilherme Augusto Pivoto João, Kátia Santana Cruz, Marcelo de Souza Ferreira, Djane Clarys Baía-da-Silva, Maria Eduarda Leão de Farias, José Diego Brito-Sousa, Monique Freire Santana, Luciana Aires de Oliveira, Ana Cláudia Alves Cortez, João Vicente Braga de Souza, Marcus Lacerda
Abstract
With the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of corticosteroids and other immunosuppressive drugs to manage critically ill patients has been widely disseminated and likely contributed to the increase in secondary infections and uncontrolled glycemic status1,2. The SARS-CoV2 virus can directly infect T cells and make patients susceptible to secondary infections and severe COVID-19 infection3 . Among fungal infections, cases of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, invasive candidiasis, and pneumocystis have been described2-4. Here we report a fatal case of rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis in a patient with uncontrolled diabetes after a COVID-19 infection.