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Disseminated Infection due to Saksenaea vasiformis Secondary to Cutaneous Mucormycosis

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Abstract

Mucormycosis is an uncommon opportunistic fungal infection caused by Zygomycetes. It usually affects immunocompromised, diabetic and trauma patients with infected wounds. We report a case of disseminated infection secondary to facial cutaneous mucormycosis caused by Saksenaea vasiformis in a diabetic patient who had a farming accident causing him severe head injury. The patient was treated with a combination of surgical debridement and antifungal therapy with liposomal amphotericin B, but he had a slow and fatal outcome. In cases of tissue necrosis following trauma involving wound contact with soil (i.e., potential fungal contamination), testing for the presence of Zygomycetes fungi such as S. vasiformis in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients is crucial. The reason is that this infection usually has a rapid progression and may be fatal if appropriate treatment is not administered.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the National Center of Microbiology of Majadahonda (Madrid, Spain) for their technical support.

Conflict of interest

The authors certify no conflicts of interest in relation to this article exist.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Microbiology Department, Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital, Avda. Fuerzas Armadas, 2, 18014, Granada, Spain

    Cristina Gómez-Camarasa, María Dolores Rojo-Martín, Consuelo Miranda-Casas & José María Navarro-Marí

  2. National Center for Microbiology, Madrid, Spain

    Ana Alastruey-Izquierdo

  3. Internal Medicine, Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital, Granada, Spain

    Luis Aliaga-Martínez

  4. Plastic Surgery Department, Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital, Granada, Spain

    José Miguel Labrador-Molina

Authors
  1. Cristina Gómez-Camarasa
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  2. María Dolores Rojo-Martín
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  3. Consuelo Miranda-Casas
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  4. Ana Alastruey-Izquierdo
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  5. Luis Aliaga-Martínez
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  6. José Miguel Labrador-Molina
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  7. José María Navarro-Marí
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Correspondence to Cristina Gómez-Camarasa.

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Gómez-Camarasa, C., Rojo-Martín, M.D., Miranda-Casas, C. et al. Disseminated Infection due to Saksenaea vasiformis Secondary to Cutaneous Mucormycosis. Mycopathologia 177, 97–101 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-013-9715-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-013-9715-3

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