A case of invasive pulmonary mucormycosis resulting from short courses of corticosteroids in a well-controlled diabetic patient

Abstract

A patient with well-controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus developed a severe pulmonary infection secondary to Rhizopus spp. after receiving short courses of corticosteroids for a respiratory tract infection. He recovered after an aggressive surgical intervention and treatment with isavuconazole. Patients on chronic corticosteroid therapy have a higher risk for pulmonary mucormycosis, but there are much fewer reports of mucormycosis occurring in patients after only short courses of steroid therapy.

Keywords

• Mucormycosis
• Pulmonary mucormycosis
• Steroid-induced hyperglycemia
• Corticosteroid
• Isavuconazole