ADJUNCTIVE HYPERBARIC-OXYGEN THERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF RHINOCEREBRAL MUCORMYCOSIS

Although fungi belonging to the order Mucorales rarely cause human dis ease, infections are most often seen in severely immunosuppressed pati ents. In 4 patients with rhinocerebral mucormycosis, hyperbaric oxygen therapy was utilized as an adjunct to surgical debridement and amphot ericin B. Rhinocerebral mucormycosis was associated with diabetic keto acidosis in 3 patients and with acute lymphocytic leukemia in 1 patien t. In all 4 patients, mucormycosis progressed even after extensive sur gical debridement and initiation of treatment with amphotericin B. The addition of hyperbaric oxygen therapy was associated with a decline i n the progression of intracranial mucormycosis and limitation of ablat ive surgery.