Mucormycosis of the Breast in a Patient With Breast Carcinoma After COVID-19 Pneumonia

Abstract

Mucormycosis is a rare, but potentially fatal, fungal infection which is caused by mucormyctes. These forms of fungi are typically known to infect immuno-compromised individuals but are rare in immunocompetent individuals. Herein, we report the case of a 52 year-old female who was diagnosed with right breast carcinoma in Manipal Hospital, a tertiary cancer care center. The patient was a known diabetic and hypertensive and who had recently recovered from coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. In the due course of management, she developed mucormycosis infection at the operative site in her right breast where she had a radiation therapy-induced wound. This patient was successfully treated with an aggressive regimen of early surgical debridement along with administration of systemic amphotericin B.

Keywords

• axillary dissection
• breast carcinoma
• chemotherapy
• covid-19
• mucormycosis
• neoadjuvant chemotherapy