RARE INFECTION IN TIMES OF PANDEMIC: A CASE OF ORAL MUCORMYCOSIS ASSOCIATED WITH COVID-19 AND ITS OUTCOME AFTER YEARS

Mucormycosis is an opportunistic, invasive, and highly lethal fungal infection caused by fungi of the order Mucorales. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant increase in its incidence has been observed. The recommended intervention is the removal of affected tissues through surgical debridement and antifungal therapy. Treatment should continue until the signs indicated in the imaging exam resolve and the patient's immune system is restored. This article reports the case of a 59-year-old male patient with mucormycosis after infection with SARS-CoV-2. The clinical picture included pain in the maxillary region for three months, with previous antibacterial therapy without satisfactory results. The diagnosis was made through imaging tests and histopathological analysis, which showed areas of necrosis and angioinvasive fungal infection of the genus Mucor. Treatment involved a maxillectomy along with antifungal therapy with isavuconazole. The objective is to establish the correlation between infection with the new coronavirus and increased susceptibility to mucormycosis, also highlighting other systemic factors, as well as the efficacy of isavuconazole as an adjunct medication in the treatment of mucormycosis. It is concluded that patients affected by COVID-19 are more susceptible to mucormycosis due to conditions such as diabetes mellitus, immunosuppression, and prolonged use of corticosteroids. Furthermore, it is established that isavuconazole emerges as an alternative comparable to amphotericin B, and in cases of infiltrative lesions refractory to drug treatment, maxillectomy followed by prosthetic rehabilitation can provide functional and aesthetic recovery.