European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Background and aims: During the second wave of coronavirus disease 2019 [covid-19] in India, there is a rapid surge of opportunistic fungal infections among covid-19 patients. Rhino-Orbito-Cerebral mucormycosis is the most common disease among these patients apart from pulmonary aspergillosis. The study aims to determine the clinical presentation, signs, and symptoms in patients with rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis associated with coronavirus disease in the present scenario.
Methods: It is a retrospective observational study. The Clinical history of 100 patients from medical records with Rhino-Orbito-Cerebral mucormycosis associated with covid-19 during the months of May and June 2021 is collected and analyzed.
Results: In our study on 100 patients with mucormycosis infection 95 patients were diagnosed with covid-19 infection and 82 patients were diabetic. Among the diabetic group, 53 were chronic diabetic and 29 were detected denovo. The disease is seen most prominently in the people of the age group between 30-60yrs. Males are more affected. The urban population represented 67 percent. The chief complaints of the patients with mucormycosis related covid-19 are pain (88%), swelling/edema (79%), visual disturbance (51%), numbness over the face (47%), nasal discharge (45%). Clinical findings of the disease are, ptosis (52%), blurring/absent vision (51%), proptosis (41%), ophthalmoplegia (33%), discoloration over the face (26%) and necrosis of the soft tissues (8%).The percentage of people presented with mucormycosis between diagnosis of covid-19 infection and onset of symptoms of mucormycosis is observed to be 72% within two weeks and 89% within three weeks. Regarding the covid-19 symptoms, mild symptoms were seen in 59.9%, moderate symptoms in 29.4% and severe symptoms in 10.5% of patients. 76 patients were on corticosteroid therapy and 35 patients were oxygen-dependent.