Comorbidities and final outcome of post COVID-19 associated oral mucormycosis patients: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Mucormycosis is an invasive and possibly fatal fungal infection that frequently affects the mouth. Co-infection in post COVID-19 patients is an emerging concern, owing to their complex nature and higher mortality. Therefore, this study aimed to report the underlying risk factors, clinical characteristics, presentation, and final outcome of COVID-19 associated oral mucormycosis cases. This study included 51 patients with oral mucormycosis 28 (55%) males and 23 (45%) females. Twenty-three patients (45%) presented with deep necrotic ulcer, 16 patients (31%) presented with superficial ulcer, and 12 patients (23%) of them presented with fistula. The overall survival rate was 51% (26 patients recovered). On the other hand, mortality rate was 49% (25 patients), of which 68% suffered from uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. The mortality rate of COVID-19 associated mucormycosis cases with oral manifestations was found to be quite high mostly due to delayed diagnosis and lack of timely treatment. Thus, increasing the awareness of dentists and maxillofacial surgeons is crucial for the early diagnosis of oral mucormycosis which is vital to improve prognosis of this serious infection. This is of high importance in view of the escalating numbers of mucormycosis cases being recorded worldwide.