Rhino-Orbito-Cerebral Mucormycosis Following Tooth Extraction in a Diabetic Patient: A Case Report

Hojat Rastegari  Najafabadi; Ali  Abdolrazaghnejad; Aliakbar  Keykha

doi:10.18502/crcp.v10i6.21610

Hojat Rastegari Najafabadi Department of Emergency Medicine, Khatami Al-Anbia Hospital, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran.
Ali Abdolrazaghnejad Department of Emergency Medicine, Khatami Al-Anbia Hospital, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran.
Aliakbar Keykha Community Nursing Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/crcp.v10i6.21610

Keywords: Mucormycosis; Dental extraction; Diabetes mellitus; Fungal infection; Cerebrovascular accidents; Sinusitis

Abstract

Mucormycosis is a rare, aggressive, and often fatal fungal infection that primarily affects immunosuppressed and diabetic patients, causing soft-tissue lesions. Early detection and prompt management are crucial. We present a case of mucormycosis following dental extraction in a patient with diabetes. A 48-year-old diabetic Iranian Baluch woman with multiple dental caries developed left eye exophthalmia and headache one week after an Afghan unlicensed dentist in Iran extracted four teeth from her left maxilla to alleviate pain and inflammation in her maxillary premolars and molars. Diagnostic tests confirmed that mucormycosis had spread from the extraction site to the surrounding soft tissue, sinuses, left eye, and brain. Diabetes significantly increases the risk of mucormycosis infections. In patients with tooth caries and infections, mucormycosis should be considered as a potential diagnosis. Timely diagnosis and treatment are crucial prior to dental procedures to prevent spread to the sinuses and brain.