PHD - Opportunistic and Systemic Mycoses (Steed)

Question 1

What are the major risk factors for developing mucormycosis?

Answer 1

• Neutropenia
• Uncontrolled diabetes
• Steroid/desferoxamine therapy
• IV drug use
• Severe burns
• Malnutrition

Question 2

Why does the drug desferoxamine increase the risk that a patient will develop mucormycosis?

Answer 2

Desferoxamine is a siderophore, meaning that binds free iron in the blood

Rhizopus and Mucor fungi have the capacity to take up the iron-desferrioxamine complex and use it as a growth factor to increase virulence.