Central Retinal Artery Occlusion in Rhino-Orbital-Cerebral Mucormycosis: An Inflammatory-Prothrombotic State.

PURPOSE: The aim was to evaluate patient profiles of rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis (ROCM) cases with central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) postcoronavirus disease 2019. DESIGN: A nonrandomized retrospective case-control study. METHODS: The ROCM cases presenting with CRAO were compared with a control ROCM group without CRAO at a tertiary care center. Demography, systemic status, clinical features, histopathology, imaging, and blood profile were assessed for any specific risk factors. RESULTS: A total of 12 patients were seen in the CRAO group and 16 in the non-CRAO group. The male-to-female ratio was 3:1 with a mean age of 49.5 years. In the CRAO group, 75% had diabetes mellitus with mean hemoglobin A1c of 9.03%, and 66.7% had received steroid treatment. All cases were histopathologically confirmed positive for mucor. There was a significant difference in mean D-dimer and serum ferritin between the 2 groups, with higher level in the CRAO group. All patients with CRAO had light perception-negative vision, with total ophthalmoplegia and proptosis seen in 66.7% of cases. Four patients had orbital apex involvement, 5 had cavernous sinus involvement, and 8 had intracranial involvement in the CRAO group. CONCLUSIONS: Inflammatory markers D-dimer and serum ferritin were significantly associated with CRAO, suggestive of hyperinflammatory and hypercoagulable state. A high index of suspicion should be maintained in cases with elevated markers and prophylactic anticoagulants can be started to prevent CRAO in a subset of patients.

Rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis: fungal epidemic in a viral pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 infection can result in immunosuppression. Rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis is a frequent co-infection, even after recovery. METHODS: An ambispective interventional study was conducted of 41 coronavirus patients with rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis at a tertiary care centre from March to May 2021. RESULTS: There were 28 males and 13 females with a mean age of 48.2 years (range, 21-68 years). Twelve had long-standing diabetes mellitus and 28 had been recently diagnosed. Thirty-six had received systemic corticosteroids for coronavirus disease 2019. Nasal signs were present in 95 per cent of patients, ophthalmic symptoms and signs in 87 per cent, palatal necrosis in 46.3 per cent, facial signs in 24.3 per cent, nerve palsies in 60.9 per cent, and intracranial involvement in 21.9 per cent. Treatment with amphotericin B was based on clinical features and co-morbidities. Endonasal debridement was performed in 51.2 per cent of patients, total maxillectomy in 14.6 per cent and orbital exenteration in 9.7 per cent. At the last follow up, 37 patients (90.24 per cent) were on antifungal therapy; 4 (9.75 per cent) did not survive. CONCLUSION: Early detection may improve survival. Follow up of high-risk patients after coronavirus disease 2019 infection is paramount.

Imaging of COVID-19-associated craniofacial mucormycosis: a black and white review of the "black fungus".

A subset of diabetic COVID-19 patients treated with steroids, oxygen, and/or prolonged intensive care admission develop rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis. Radiologists must have a high index of suspicion for early diagnosis, which prompts immediate institution of antifungal therapy that limits morbidity and mortality. Assessment of disease extent by imaging is crucial for planning surgical debridement. Complete debridement of necrotic tissue improves survival. Imaging features reflect the angioinvasive behaviour of fungal hyphae from the Mucoraceae family, which cause necrotising vasculitis and thrombosis resulting in extensive tissue infarction. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the imaging technique of choice. The classic "black turbinate" on contrast-enhanced imaging represents localised invasive fungal rhinosinusitis (IFRS). A striking radiological feature of disseminated craniofacial disease is non-enhancing devitalised and necrotic soft tissue at the orbits and central skull base. Sinonasal and extrasinonasal non-enhancing lesions in IFRS are secondary to coagulative necrosis induced by fungal elements. Multicompartmental and extrasinonasal tissue infarction is possible without overt bone involvement and caused by the propensity of fungal elements to disseminate from the nasal cavity via perineural and perivascular routes. Fungal vasculitis can result in internal carotid artery occlusion and cerebral infarction. Remnant non-enhancing lesions after surgical debridement portend a poor prognosis. Assessment for the non-enhancing MRI lesion is crucial, as it is a sole independent prognostic factor for IFRS-specific mortality. In this review, we describe common and uncommon imaging presentations of biopsy-proven rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis in a cohort of nearly 40 COVID-19 patients.