Advance study of rhinocerebralmucormycosis

Mucormycosis is a rare, rapidly progressive life threatening opportunistic fungal infection, with rhinocerebral mucormycosis being the most common type. Rhinocerebral mucormycosis usually presents symptoms similar to sinusitis and orbital cellulitis during its early stage,which often leads to a misdiagnosis at the very beginning,and progresses rapidly to endophthalmitis,blindness,sclera perforation, eyeball atrophy, and even gets the central nervous system involved, thus leading to death. Mucormycosis is particularly common in patients with poor glycemic control, ketoacidosis and immunosuppression. The purpose of this review is to highlight the predisposing factors, infection pathway, pathogenesis, clinical presentations, diagnosis, and management of rhinocerebral mucormycosis, hence further promote the early diagnosis and immediate treatment of the disease. (Chin J Ophthalmol,2019,55:629-633) Key words: Mucormycosis; Nose diseases; Eye infections, fungal; Central nervous system fungal infections