zygomycoses
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Definition: Zygomycoses are angioinvasive fungal infections due to fungi belonging to the genera of Mucorales (Rhizopus sp., Mucor sp., Rhizomucor sp., Absidia sp., Apophysomyces sp., Cunninghamella sp., and Saksenaea sp.)
Zygomycosis (or mucormycosis) describes in the broadest sense any infection due to a member of the Zygomycetes.
Zygomycetes are primitive, fast growing, terrestrial, largely saprophytic fungi with a cosmopolitan distribution.
To date, some 665 species have been described although infections in humans and animals are generally rare. Medically important orders and genera include:
1. Mucorales, causing subcutaneous zygomycoses and systemic zygomycoses (systemic mucormycoses)
Mucor sp.
Rhizopus sp.
Absidia sp.
Rhizomucor sp
Cunninghamella sp.
Saksenaea sp.
Apophysomyces sp.
Cokeromyces sp.
Mortierella sp.
2. Entomophthorales (entomophthoraceous fungi), causing subcutaneous zygomycoses (subcutaneous entomophthoromycoses)
Conidiobolus sp.
Basidiobolus sp.
Localization
digestive zygomycosis (gastrointestinal zygomycosis)
- intestinal zygomycosis (intestinal mucormycosis)
rhinocerebral zygomycosis (rhinocerebral mucormycosis)
pulmonary zygomycosis (pulmonary mucormycosis)
cutaneous zygomycosis (cutaneous mucormycosis)
cerebral zygomycosis (cerebral mucormycosis)
disseminated zygomycosis (disseminated mucormycosis)
Predisposition
immunosuppression
- neutropenia
- chemotherapy
References
Bialek R, Konrad F, Kern J, Aepinus C, Cecenas L, Gonzalez GM, Just-Nubling G, Willinger B, Presterl E, Lass-Florl C, Rickerts V. PCR based identification and discrimination of agents of mucormycosis and aspergillosis in paraffin wax embedded tissue. J Clin Pathol. 2005 Nov;58(11):1180-4. PMID: 16254108
Karanth M, Taniere P, Barraclough J, Murray JA. A rare presentation of zygomycosis (mucormycosis) and review of the literature. J Clin Pathol. 2005 Aug;58(8):879-81. PMID: 16049294
