MUCORMYCOSIS

MICROBIOLOGY AND EPIDEMIOLOGY

Mucormycosis is caused by fungi of the order Mucorales, most commonly Rhizopus oryzae and R. delemar; despite the name of the disease, Mucor species are only rarely the cause.

Mucorales have characteristic wide (≥6- to 30-µm), thick-walled, ribbon-like, aseptate hyphal elements that branch at right angles.
These ubiquitous environmental fungi primarily affect pts with diabetes, solid organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplants, prolonged neutropenia, malignancy, and deferoxamine treatment for iron overload syndromes.

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