case of early-disseminated rhizopus microsporus var. microsporus mucormycosis in a renal transplant patient

Dikshya Sharma,1 Kumud Dahal,2 Bandana Pathak,3 Udip Dahal4 1Staten Island University Hospital, Staten Island, NY, 2University of Illinois College of Medicine, 3OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, Peoria, IL, 4University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA Abstract: Mucormycosis is a rare infection caused by the ubiquitous filamentous fungi of the order Mucorales and class Zygomycetes. These species are vasotropic, causing rapid onset of tissue infarctions and necrosis and subsequent thrombosis by invading vascular bed. The disease spectrum ranges from involvement of skin, sinuses, lung, and brain to disseminated and mostly fatal infections, especially in immunocompromised hosts. Here, we present a case of a fatal disseminated mucormycosis in a 56-year-old female who had deceased donor renal allograft transplantation ~2 weeks prior to presentation. She presented with shortness of breath and dry cough. Despite being on broad-spectrum antibiotics/antifungals and proper management by transplant, infectious disease, and primary team, she died within 3 weeks of admission. Autopsy showed disseminated mucormycosis of lungs and thyroid. Disseminated infection within 2 weeks of solid organ transplantation in this patient was one of the rare features of mucormycosis. Keywords: Zygomycetes, immunocompromised, transplant