Zygomycosis of temporal bone in uncontrolled diabetes mellitus: A rare cause for skull base osteomyelitis

Abstract

Zygomycosis is a serious and often rapidly fatal infection especially in immunocompromised patients. Rhinocerebral mucormycosis is the most common clinical form, accounting for about 50% of the reported cases. Impaired delivery of the antifungal drugs to the site of infection because of vascular thrombosis, and limited aggressive surgery because of the complex anatomy of the rhino-orbital region warns that early diagnosis and aggressive management is required in these patients. We encountered a rare case of zygomycosis of the temporal bone causing skull base osteomyelitis in a diabetic patient. The causative agent for skull base osteomyelitis has mainly been Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and rarely Aspergillus, but zygomycosis has not been mentioned as its cause in literature. Hence, we are reporting this case.

Keywords

• Skull base osteomyelitis
• temporal bone
• zygomycosis