Pulmonary Mucormycosis in a Patient with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Diagnostic and Treatment Challenge.

Abstract

Pulmonary mucormycosis is commonly encountered in patients with diabetic ketoacidosis, hematologic malignancies, neutropenia, organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and malignancy, but it rarely occurs in high-risk patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We present the case of a 40-year-old SLE female with fulminant pneumonia after remission of nephritis treated with rituximab, who developed severe pulmonary mucormycosis that led to her rapid death from acute respiratory failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Pulmonary mucormycosis has a high mortality rate. However, with early diagnosis and antifungal therapy with lipid formulation-liposomal amphotericin B and surgical removal of the infected area, the outcome can be improved.

• Authors: Hung-Chang Hung, Gang-Yu Shen, Shiuan-Chih Chen, Kai-Jieh Yeo, Shih-Ming Tsao, Meng-Chih Lee, Yuan-Ti Lee
• Journal: Case reports in infectious diseases (Case Rep Infect Dis) Vol. 2015 Pg. 478789 ( 2015) ISSN: 2090-6625 [Print] Egypt
• PMID: 26185693 (Publication Type: Journal Article)