Mucormycosis mimicking portal hypertensive haemorrhage as a complication of alcoholic liver cirrhosis: a case report

BMC Infect Dis. 2024 Jan 29;24(1):136. doi: 10.1186/s12879-023-08220-0.

Abstract

Mucor is a rare cause of gastrointestinal ulcers. This case describes a case of mucormycosis that occurred in a patient with liver cirrhosis who was hospitalized to accept a splenectomy for traumatic splenic rupture. During the perioperative period, the patient developed upper gastrointestinal bleeding(UGIB), which was diagnosed as mucormycosis-related gastric ulcer according to gastroscopy. Patients with liver cirrhosis often get UGIB for Portal hypertension, but they also can develop UGIB for multiple other reasons, including infectious ulcers for immunosuppression. The case emphasizes the importance of excluding fungal-induced ulcer haemorrhage before diagnosing Portal hypertensive-induced variceal haemorrhage in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Keywords: Alcoholic liver cirrhosis; Immunosuppression; Mucormycosis; Upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Esophageal and Gastric Varices* / complications
  • Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / diagnosis
  • Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / etiology
  • Humans
  • Liver Cirrhosis / complications
  • Liver Cirrhosis / diagnosis
  • Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / complications
  • Mucormycosis* / complications
  • Mucormycosis* / diagnosis
  • Ulcer