Pneumonia During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Hubei Province, China: a Case Report of Mucormycosis

Clin Lab. 2023 May 1;69(5). doi: 10.7754/Clin.Lab.2022.220905.

Abstract

Background: Mucor infection cannot be ignored in patients with pulmonary shadowing with cavitation. This paper reports a case of mucormycosis during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei Province, China.

Methods: An anesthesiology doctor was initially diagnosed as COVID-19 due to changes in lung imaging. After anti-infective, anti-viral, and symptomatic supportive treatment, some of symptoms were relieved. But some symptoms -'chest pain and discomfort', accompanied by chest sulking and short breath after activities, did not ease. At last, Lichtheimia ramose was detected later by metagenomic next generation sequencing (mNGS) in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF).

Results: After adjusting amphotericin B for anti-infective treatment, the patient's infection lesions were shrunk and the symptoms were significantly relieved.

Conclusions: The diagnosis of invasive fungal infections is very difficult, and mNGS can make an accurate pathogenic diagnosis of invasive fungal diseases for the clinic and provide a basis for clinical treatment.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Antiviral Agents
  • Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid
  • COVID-19*
  • China / epidemiology
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  • Humans
  • Invasive Fungal Infections*
  • Mucormycosis* / diagnosis
  • Mucormycosis* / epidemiology
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia*

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents