Discuss the clinical manifestations of rhinocerebral mucormycosis.

Rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis is the most common form of mucormycosis. Other clinical variants include pulmonary, cutaneous, gastrointestinal, and disseminated. Most commonly, the organism is deposited in the nasal turbinates or lung through inhalation. The majority of patients with Rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis are diabetics (often in ketoacidosis) or have leukemia. Patients present with fever, headache, facial edema, proptosis, facial pain, orbital cellulitis, and cranial nerve dysfunction. The patients may have loss of vision from retinal artery thrombosis. This form is often fatal. Treatment consists of rapid diagnosis with aggressive debridement and antifungal therapy.

Eucker J, Sezer O, Graf B, Possinger K: Mucormycoses, Mycoses 44:253–260, 2001.