Turkish Journal of Geriatrics 2022 , Vol 25, Issue 4
RHINO-ORBITAL MUCORMYCOSIS IN THE ELDERLY POPULATION AFTER COVID-19
Ozer Erdem GUR1, Nevreste Didem SONBAY YILMAZ1, Sibel YAVUZ2, Hatice Deniz ILHAN3, Rezarta Taga SENÄ°RLÄ°1, Muhammet YILDIZ1, Yesim YUKSEL1, Nuray ENSARÄ°1, Halil ER4, Kubra DEMÄ°R ONDER5, Berna DOGAN2
1Antalya Training and Research Hospital, Otolaryngology, Antalya, Turkey
2Antalya Training and Research Hospital, Ophthalmology, Antalya, Turkey
3Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine, Ophthalmology, Antalya, Turkey
4Antalya Training and Research Hospital, Microbiology, Antalya, Turkey
5Antalya Training and Research Hospital, Infectious Disease, Antalya, Turkey
DOI : 10.31086/tjgeri.2022.318 Introduction: In this study, we aimed to retrospectively evaluate the characteristics of mucormycosis cases seen in our clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic, the management of their treatment and the SARS-CoV-2 variants that were dominant at that time.

Methods: The medical records of patients diagnosed with rhino-orbital mucormycosis between March 2020 and July 2022 were retrospectively evaluated.

Results: Nine patients were diagnosed with rhino-orbital mucormycosis. Of these patients, six were male and three were female, and the patients were between the ages of 65-75 (mean 69.2). After the diagnosis of mucormycosis, antifungal treatment was initiated with liposomal amphotericin-B. Eight patients underwent surgery within 48 hours, only one patient refused to undergo surgery.

Conclussions: Mucormycosis is a rapidly progressing opportunistic fungal infection. Therefore, the most basic criteria determining mortality is the early detection of about mucormycosis infection and to diagnose it as soon as possible, especially in patients with an underlying immunosuppressive condition. Once a diagnosis of mucormucosis has been established, risk factors, especially blood sugar regulation, should be corrected. Furthermore, systemic and local antifungal therapy shuold be initiated, and urgent debridement should be performed. Keywords : COVID-19; Mucormycosis; Aged