Primary cutaneous mucormycosis: a diagnosis to consider.

Primary cutaneous mucormycosis is a deep fungal infection, mainly seen in diabetics and immunocomprornised subjects. Rapid diagnosis and therapy are necessary to avoid fatal outcome. We describe the complete histopathological and micro-biological studies of primary cutaneous mucormycosis in a 74-year-old man with several risk factors, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, respiratory acidosis. hemolytic anemia. myelodysplastic syndrome and iatogenic diabetes, due to corticosteroid therapy. He developed two cutaneous necrotic scars on his left leg. Muconniycosis was suspected and specimens from surgical débridement were hisiopathologically and microbiological]y studied conlirmmning the clinical diagnosis. Amphoterkin B was given topically and intravenously resulting in complete healing of the ulcer. Risk factors and microbiological studies are compared with those in the current literature. It is necessary in certain cases to suspect mucormycosis infections in diahetics, immunocompromised subjects and even in healthy individuals. Rapid diagnosis and treatment are important, but they should be based on complete histopatholgical and microbiological studies, to establish the genus of the causal agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]