Open AccessMucormycosis complicating lower limb crash injury in a multiple traumatised patient: an unusual case
Author(s) -
Mariusz Stasiak,
Alfred Samet,
Jerzy Lasek,
Maria Wujtewicz,
Zbigniew Witkowski,
Jolanta Komarnicka,
Katarzyna Gołąbek-Dropiewska,
B Rybak,
Marta Gross,
Wojciech Marks
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
bmj case reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.231
H-Index - 26
ISSN - 1757-790X
DOI - 10.1136/bcr.10.2008.1170
Subject(s) - medicine , mucormycosis , amputation , complication , surgery , soft tissue , debridement (dental) , surgical debridement , road traffic accident , sepsis , antifungal , crush injury , dermatology , road traffic , engineering , transport engineering
Necrotising skin and soft tissues infections are most commonly bacterial in origin. However, saprophytic fungi of the class Zygomycetes, family Mucoraceae, can cause highly aggressive infections (mucormycoses) mainly in immunocompromised patients. Severe trauma is one of the major risk factors for mucormycosis. Fungal traumatic wound infection is an unusual complication associated with crash limb injury. This report describes a case of serious necrotising soft tissue infection caused by Mucor sp following primary fungal environmental wound contamination in a multiply injured patient. Despite undelayed diagnosis and proper treatment (surgical debridement and limb amputation, amphotericin B therapy) the patient presented a fatal outcome.