Rhinocerebral mucormycosis in a child with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a case report.

Background: Mucormycosis is a life-threatening fungal infection in patients with predisposing conditions.

Methods: We report the case of a 7-year-old girl with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and rhinocerebral mucormycosis who successfully completed chemotherapy. The infection with Rhizopus genus was mycologically identified from nasal secretions and therapy was based on amphotericin B with surgical debridement. Chemotherapy was safely continued after resolution of the mycosis and the patient remains in continuous complete remission at 30 months.

Conclusions: Rhinocerebral mucormycosis in acute lymphoblastic leukemia is manageable with sequential therapy including, amphotericin B, surgery, and risk-adapted chemotherapy.