Mucormycosis prevalence in diabetic individuals in the northeast of Iran: a 10-year retrospective study

Background and objective: Currently, due to an increase in the number of individuals with immune deficiency, long-term chemotherapy, and underlying diseases, an appropriate situation has been provided for the development of opportunistic infections, including fungal infections. This study was conducted with the aim of evaluating clinical symptoms, laboratory findings, and the treatment outcome of mucormycosis in diabetic individuals. Methods: In this cross-sectional retrospective study, all recorded cases of mucormycosis in the health centers of Gorgan city, northeast of Iran, in diabetic individuals were extracted during 15 years from 2002 to 2016. All information was extracted from patient-related records and then was analyzed. In the period from 2002 to 2016, 12 diabetic individuals with mucormycosis were referred to health centers. Results: There were statistically significant differences in the categories of sex, residence, education, taking drug, addiction, diabetes status, methods of diagnosis, involved area with mucormycosis, treatment type of mucormycosis, and treatment outcome of mucormycosis. Furthermore, no statistically significant difference was observed in the categories of age, underlying diseases (other than diabetes), hospitalization, and diagnostic time. Conclusion: Due to the rareness or lack of an appropriate diagnostic method, and in addition, due to lack of an appropriate treatment, attention should be paid to invasive mucormycosis in individuals with immunodeficiency.