Rhinocerebral Form of Invasive Mycosis in COVID-19 Patients: Clinical Course, Diagnosis, Treatment Experience

Background. The incidence of invasive mycoses is reported to increase among patients with a history of new coronavirus infection COVID-19. Adhesion and damage of endothelial cells by zygomycetes lead to fungus angioinvasion, release of a large number of fungal proteases, lipases and mycotoxins, as well as vascular thrombosis, subsequent necrosis of tissues.

Objectives. Improvement of the diagnosis and treatment for COVID-19 associated invasive mycosis.

Methods. Examination and treatment of 143 patients with invasive mycosis of the maxillofacial area in the period from August 2021 to May 2022 at the Maxillofacial Unit of Regional Clinical Hospital of Emergency Medical Care, Krasnodar Krai, Russia. The diagnosis was confi rmed by cytological, culture-based methods, as well as pathomorphological study of surgical specimen. Follow-up monitoring was carried out in 1, 3, 6 months, with repeated CT and MRI investigations. The group under follow-up monitoring included 91 patients. The incidence of signs was determined via descriptive statistics methods in proportion of the total number of observations and expressed as a percentage. Statistika 12.5 and Excel 2010 (Windows 10) were used in the study, the graphical representation of the material was made in the same programs.

Results. Manifestation of invasive mycoses of the maxillofacial area occurred during the early convalescent period of coronavirus infection in specialized infectious hospitals or within two weeks after discharge from the hospital. A typical clinical picture includes rhinocerebral zygomycosis with the development of fungal osteomyelitis of the upper jaw, nasal bones, zygomatic bone, ethmoidal labyrinth bones, sphenoid bone, frontal bone. 17 cases (11.9%) had a lethal outcome as a result of disseminated form of fungal infection caused by Mucorales (14 patients), Aspergillus (3 patients) with damage to the brain, lungs, kidneys and fatal massive necrotic lesions of the craniofacial area. An integrated approach embraced early antifungal therapy (Amphotericin B) as well as surgical debridement of the lesions and provided a positive effect in treatment.

Conclusion. Invasive fungal infections require prompt diagnosis and early prescription of antifungal therapy (prior to histological confi rmation of diagnosis) to minimize consequences and prevent fatal outcome. Due to the nonspecifi c nature of clinical symptoms and diffi culties of early diagnosis of invasive zygomycosis and aspergillosis, it is necessary to be alert to potential invasive aggressive mycoses in immunocompromised patients who have a history of a new coronavirus infection COVID-19.