MycopathologiaPub Date : 2025-10-03DOI: 10.1007/s11046-025-01002-z
Éva Nemes-Nikodém, Gergő Péter Gyurok, Zsuzsanna A Dunai, Nóra Makra, Bálint Hofmeister, Dóra Szabó, László Hidi, Ágnes Szappanos, Gergely Imre Kovács, Péter Sótonyi, Eszter Ostorházi
{"title":"Mycobiome of Stool, Blood, Thrombus and Vessel Wall in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Patients.","authors":"Éva Nemes-Nikodém, Gergő Péter Gyurok, Zsuzsanna A Dunai, Nóra Makra, Bálint Hofmeister, Dóra Szabó, László Hidi, Ágnes Szappanos, Gergely Imre Kovács, Péter Sótonyi, Eszter Ostorházi","doi":"10.1007/s11046-025-01002-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-025-01002-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a life-threatening vascular condition characterized by inflammatory degeneration of the vessel wall. Emerging evidence suggests that microbial factors contribute to its progression. In this study, we analyzed the mycobiome composition of stool, blood, thrombus and damaged vessel wall samples collected during surgery from 24 AAA patients using Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequencing. Significant differences in alpha and beta diversity were observed across the sample types, confirming compartmentalization of the mycobiome. However, individual fungal profiles did not establish a clear gut-blood-vessel wall axis, indicating that fungi translocated to the vessel wall may originate from other anatomical regions. Comparison AAA mycobiome with healthy arterial walls' mycobiome from organ donors revealed a dominance of anti-inflammatory Tomentella in healthy samples, while pro-inflammatory Malassezia species were prevalent in damaged vessel walls. These findings highlight the role of fungi in AAA progression and suggest potential thera-peutic avenues, including antifungal adjuvant treatments to mitigate inflammation and aneurysm development.</p>","PeriodicalId":19017,"journal":{"name":"Mycopathologia","volume":"190 6","pages":"96"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145213188","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MycopathologiaPub Date : 2025-10-03DOI: 10.1007/s11046-025-01008-7
Hao Zhou, Xi Yang, Quan Zhou, Cai Hu, Caiyan Xin, Zhangyong Song
{"title":"Character Virulence Association Factors and Gene Mutation Mediating Multidrug Resistance Phenotypes in Candidozyma duobushaemulonii.","authors":"Hao Zhou, Xi Yang, Quan Zhou, Cai Hu, Caiyan Xin, Zhangyong Song","doi":"10.1007/s11046-025-01008-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-025-01008-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Candidiasis, traditionally dominated by Candida albicans infection, now faces a paradigm shift with the emergence of non-C. albicans infections, such as the multidrug-resistant (MDR) Candidozyma (formerly Candida) species. Critically, the emergence of multidrug resistance (MDR) Candidozyma duobushaemulonii (also known as Candida duobushaemulonii) poses critical challenges to antifungal therapy. Here, in this comparative study, we analyzed four clinical C. duobushaemulonii isolates (cd, cd1, cd2, and cd3) to establish strain-specific virulence and antifungal resistance profiles. Biofilm quantification using crystal violet (CV) and 2,3-Bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide (XTT) metabolic activity assays showed different biomass production levels across strains. Cellular aggregation capacity differed significantly, while cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH) showed inverse patterns. In Galleria mellonella infection models, virulence stratification was observed. Antifungal susceptibility testing revealed minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) azole gradients. MDR in the cd1 strain extended to 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) and anidulafungin (ANI), whereas the cd3 strain showed intermediate posaconazole (PSZ) resistance distinct to the cd2 strain. Amino acid sequence analyses indicated that Y132F substitutes in ERG11 and D139N in FUR1 genes occurred in cd and cd1 strains. Gene expression analysis recorded various regulatory situations among strains. These analyses provide a complete resistance-virulence matrix for C. duobushaemulonii, establishing baseline characteristics for epidemiological surveillance and a reference framework for future comparative studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":19017,"journal":{"name":"Mycopathologia","volume":"190 6","pages":"95"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145213270","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Optimization of the Genome Editing CRISPR-Cas9 Technology in Scedosporium apiospermum.","authors":"Kévin Ravenel, Wilfried Poirier, Bienvenue Razafimandimby, Jean-Philippe Bouchara, Amandine Gastebois, Sandrine Giraud","doi":"10.1007/s11046-025-00998-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-025-00998-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Scedosporium species are opportunistic pathogens causing a large variety of human infections. To date, there is limited information on the pathogenic mechanisms of these fungi, partly because of the limited number of genetic tools available. Here, the CRISPR-Cas9 technology, which provided promising results for functional genomic studies in filamentous fungi, was optimized for Scedosporium species using in vitro assembled Cas9 ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes. In these fungi, functional genomic studies are particularly complex in a wild-type strain, because of the high frequency of non-homologous recombination. Prior disruption of the KU70 gene encoding one of the components of the non-homologous end joining system is required, which necessitates the use of a first selection marker. The cleavage of the target gene at each end using a dual RNA-guided Cas9 complex, followed by recombination with a repair template containing the hygromycin resistance gene, allowed disruption of the target gene in the ΔKU70 mutant. Four genes encoding dioxygenases, catalyzing the critical ring-opening step in aromatic hydrocarbons, were successfully disrupted, and the optimum efficiency was observed using 5 μg of the HygR repair cassette. Alternatively, in the wild-type strain, the exclusive use of two Cas9 RNP complexes was enough to achieve an efficient deletion method; one dioxygenase gene was successfully deleted in up to 20% of the obtained colonies. These last experimental conditions path the way to multiple gene deletions and complementation experiments, which cannot be reached using our first procedure since only two selection markers are available for Scedosporium species.</p>","PeriodicalId":19017,"journal":{"name":"Mycopathologia","volume":"190 6","pages":"94"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145192278","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MycopathologiaPub Date : 2025-09-29DOI: 10.1007/s11046-025-01005-w
N A Acet-Öztürk, D Ömer-Topçu, K V Acar, Ö Aydın-Güçlü, I E Pınar, E Demirdöğen, A Görek-Dilektaşlı, E Kazak, V Özkocaman, A Ursavas, F Özkalemkaş, B Ener, R Ali, H Akalın
{"title":"In-Hospital Mortality Among Hematological Malignancy Patients Undergoing Bronchoscopy for Suspected Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis: Focusing on Coinfections and Nodules on Chest CT.","authors":"N A Acet-Öztürk, D Ömer-Topçu, K V Acar, Ö Aydın-Güçlü, I E Pınar, E Demirdöğen, A Görek-Dilektaşlı, E Kazak, V Özkocaman, A Ursavas, F Özkalemkaş, B Ener, R Ali, H Akalın","doi":"10.1007/s11046-025-01005-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-025-01005-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in hematological malignancy populations has high mortality rates. While there are identified prognostic factors for mortality, conflicting results are reported from the studies including bronchoalveolar lavage galactomannan (GM) measurements and co-infections. We aimed to evaluate risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality in a hematological malignancy population undergoing bronchoscopy with a preliminary diagnosis of IPA in a single tertiary care center.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Patients undergoing bronchoscopy with a preliminary diagnosis of IPA were included in this retrospective study. Bacterial co-infection was defined as a positive bacterial culture in respiratory samples within ± 7 days of the index bronchoscopy procedure.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Study population consisted 305 patients diagnosed as possible, probable or proven IPA. 57 patients presented with fungal and bacterial co-infection. In-hospital mortality was observed in 98 (33.6%) patients. Patients with mortality status were older and were not in remission for hematological malignancy. Serum GM, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) GM and bronchial lavage (BL) GM levels showed a significant relation with in-hospital mortality but weak accuracy. In multivariate analysis for risk factors of in-hospital mortality; age, remission status, number of nodules in HRCT and having fungal infections with or without combined bacterial infection were independent risk factors.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Co-infections in this susceptible population should not be overlooked even in the presence of fungal infection evidence. BAL and BL GM tended to have a stronger relation with survival than serum GM measurements taken at the same time. The number of nodules in radiological assessment might be an indicator of mortality. Radiological changes through the disease course might be assessed in further studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":19017,"journal":{"name":"Mycopathologia","volume":"190 6","pages":"93"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145186399","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MycopathologiaPub Date : 2025-09-26DOI: 10.1007/s11046-025-01004-x
Seyed Reza Abdipour Mehrian, Hadi Mottaghipisheh, Hadis Jafarian, Fatemeh Homayounifar, Alireza Abbasi, Yaser Pourasghar, Fateme Noushadi, Armina Farkarian, Elahe Meftah, Sadra Valiee, Ali Amanati
{"title":"Mortality and Treatment Outcomes in Pediatric Malignancy Patients with Invasive Cutaneous Fungal Infections: Evaluating the Impact of Combination Therapy and Surgical Debridement, Experience from Referral Oncology Teaching Hospital.","authors":"Seyed Reza Abdipour Mehrian, Hadi Mottaghipisheh, Hadis Jafarian, Fatemeh Homayounifar, Alireza Abbasi, Yaser Pourasghar, Fateme Noushadi, Armina Farkarian, Elahe Meftah, Sadra Valiee, Ali Amanati","doi":"10.1007/s11046-025-01004-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-025-01004-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and aims: </strong>Invasive cutaneous fungal infections (ICFIs) are life-threatening complications in pediatric cancer patients. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of ICFIs among pediatric cancer patients hospitalized at a referral oncology teaching Hospital in Shiraz, Iran.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study included pediatric patients with malignancies and suspected ICFIs who were admitted to the Amir Oncology Teaching Hospital between 2015 and 2022. Diagnosis was based on the EORTC/MSG criteria and confirmed using clinical, microbiological, and histopathological methods. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and comparative tests, with a significance threshold of p < 0.05.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among the 24 patients, 58.3% were boys, and 45.8% were aged 1-5 years. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia was the most common malignancy (27.3%). Mucoralean fungi (36.4%) and Aspergillus (59.1%) were the most common. The overall survival rate was 54.2%. Proven ICFIs had the poorest outcomes, with a survival probability declining to zero by month 26. Patients with lower CRP levels and febrile neutropenia had better outcomes (p < 0.001 and p = 0.041, respectively), but survival rates did not vary significantly according to sex, age, or treatment approach (monotherapy versus combination therapy).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In pediatric oncology patients, ICFIs are associated with high mortality, particularly in cases of mucormycosis or proven infections. Improving survival depends on early diagnosis, risk stratification, and rapid management, particularly in patients with neutropenia and fever.</p>","PeriodicalId":19017,"journal":{"name":"Mycopathologia","volume":"190 6","pages":"92"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145150231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MycopathologiaPub Date : 2025-09-25DOI: 10.1007/s11046-025-01000-1
Taeyune Kim, Minseok Bae, Jiwon Bang, Jiwon Jeon, Yong-Joon Cho, Jin Park, Won Hee Jung
{"title":"Genome Sequences and Antifungal Susceptibility of Candida auris from a Patient with Atopic Dermatitis.","authors":"Taeyune Kim, Minseok Bae, Jiwon Bang, Jiwon Jeon, Yong-Joon Cho, Jin Park, Won Hee Jung","doi":"10.1007/s11046-025-01000-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11046-025-01000-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The whole-genome sequencing of two Candida auris isolates from the skin lesions of a Korean head and neck atopic dermatitis patient classified them within clade II. The isolates were susceptible to common antifungals. This study provides valuable genomic data for understanding the epidemiology and antifungal response of this emerging pathogen.</p>","PeriodicalId":19017,"journal":{"name":"Mycopathologia","volume":"190 6","pages":"91"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12464129/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145150227","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Prognostic Value of Serum (1→3)-β-D-Glucan Levels in Patients with Candidemia Stratified by Compliance with Candida Bundle: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study (2016-2023).","authors":"Hidemasa Akazawa, Shinnosuke Fukushima, Toshie Higuchi, Tomoko Miyoshi, Yasuhiro Nakano, Koji Iio, Yukinobu Akamatsu, Yuto Haruki, Yoshitaka Iwamoto, Shuichi Tanaka, Shun Fujisato, Soichiro Ako, Hideharu Hagiya","doi":"10.1007/s11046-025-00999-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11046-025-00999-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Candidemia is a severe systemic infection with a high mortality risk. While β-D-glucan (BDG) serves as a diagnostic biomarker, its prognostic value in candidemia, particularly in association with Candida bundle compliance, remains unclear.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this retrospective multicenter cohort study, we evaluated 96 patients with candidemia across nine Japanese hospitals between 2016 and 2023. Candida bundle compliance was assessed using five key components: central venous catheter removal within 24 h of diagnosis, appropriate initial antifungal therapy, ophthalmologic examination, follow-up blood cultures until clearance, and antifungal therapy for at least two weeks post-clearance. Analyses stratified patients by serum BDG status (positive/negative) and compliance with the Candida bundle (high: 4-5 points; low: 0-3 points). The primary outcome was 30-day mortality, and the secondary outcome was defined as endophthalmitis incidence.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 96 eligible patients with candidemia, 70 (72.9%) were BDG-positive and 26 (27.1%) were BDG-negative. The overall 30-day mortality was 17.7%. Among BDG-positive patients, 15 (21.4%) died, while 2 (7.7%) died in BDG-negative cohorts (p = 0.09). Serum BDG positivity demonstrated a statistically significant association with decreased survival rates in the low bundle adherence group (p = 0.02), whereas this correlation was not observed among patients in the high-compliance cohort (p = 0.66). Endophthalmitis occurred in 25.0% of patients, without significant correlation to serum BDG status. C. albicans was associated with a significantly higher incidence of endophthalmitis compared with non-albicans species (45.7% vs. 8.9%).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Serum BDG positivity potentially correlates with worse survival in candidemia, particularly in patients with low bundle compliance. This emphasizes the importance of adherence to standardized Candida management protocols for optimizing patient outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":19017,"journal":{"name":"Mycopathologia","volume":"190 6","pages":"90"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12454490/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145125261","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MycopathologiaPub Date : 2025-09-20DOI: 10.1007/s11046-025-00991-1
Hisanori Mutoh, Koichi Makimura, Rui Kano
{"title":"A Case of Feline Favus Due to Nannizzia incurvata With Low Azole Susceptibility.","authors":"Hisanori Mutoh, Koichi Makimura, Rui Kano","doi":"10.1007/s11046-025-00991-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11046-025-00991-1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19017,"journal":{"name":"Mycopathologia","volume":"190 5","pages":"89"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145092255","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MycopathologiaPub Date : 2025-09-17DOI: 10.1007/s11046-025-00996-w
Valliappan Muthu, Ritesh Agarwal, Sahajal Dhooria, Inderpaul Singh Sehgal, Kuruswamy Thurai Prasad, Shivaprakash M Rudramurthy, Ashutosh N Aggarwal, Arunaloke Chakrabarti
{"title":"Sensitivity and Specificity of Polymerase Chain Reaction in Blood and Bronchoalveolar Lavage Samples for Mucormycosis: A Bayesian Diagnostic Test Accuracy Meta-Analysis.","authors":"Valliappan Muthu, Ritesh Agarwal, Sahajal Dhooria, Inderpaul Singh Sehgal, Kuruswamy Thurai Prasad, Shivaprakash M Rudramurthy, Ashutosh N Aggarwal, Arunaloke Chakrabarti","doi":"10.1007/s11046-025-00996-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11046-025-00996-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The utility of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for diagnosing mucormycosis is uncertain. We conducted a diagnostic test accuracy meta-analysis to determine the performance of Mucorales PCR.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We systematically reviewed PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central databases to identify studies reporting Mucorales PCR (blood or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid [BALF] samples) in at least 10 suspected mucormycosis cases. We pooled sensitivity and specificity using Bayesian (weak and two informative priors) and frequentist methods. Subgroup analyses included middle vs. high-income countries, risk factors (hematological diseases vs. others), study design, assay type (commercial vs. in-house), and testing protocol (serial testing vs. single-time PCR). We assessed the effect of the number of blood tests performed per participant on sensitivity using multivariable meta-regression.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We identified 1524 citations, of which 36 studies (41 datasets, n = 6627 participants; 16,613 samples) were included. The pooled sensitivity and specificity (with 95% credible interval) by Bayesian weak priors (primary analysis) were 51% (34-67%) and 97% (95-98%) for blood; 64% (50-76%) and 97% (95-98%) for BALF samples. We found wide variation in sensitivity, with a 14% increment for every additional blood sample tested per patient. Studies from middle-income countries reported a significantly lower pooled sensitivity (31 vs. 68%) in blood samples and lower specificity in BALF (72 vs. 98%) than high-income countries. No other subgroups showed significant differences.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Mucorales PCR was highly specific but poorly sensitive in blood, and moderately sensitive with high specificity in BALF. Before routine implementation, further well-designed studies from diverse settings and underrepresented regions are needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":19017,"journal":{"name":"Mycopathologia","volume":"190 5","pages":"88"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145081197","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Ten-Year Experience on 601 Patients with Mucormycosis at Eight Tertiary Care Centers in Iran.","authors":"Hamid Badali, Bahar Mohamadi, Shahram Mahmoudi, Maryam Nasirian, Siavash Amiri, Shirin Irani, Zeynab Yassin, Narges Vaseghi, Ilad Alavi Darazam, Mohammadreza Salehi, Maryam Roham, Sara Abolghasemi, Farshad Divsalar, Mehrdad Hasibi, Atousa Hakamifard, Maryamosadat Hashemi Bafghi, Simin Saberi, Afsane Vaezi","doi":"10.1007/s11046-025-00995-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11046-025-00995-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Mucormycosis is a rare, destructive, and life-threatening angio-invasive fungal infection caused by fungi of the order Mucorales. This study highlights the urgent need for more extensive research in this regard. We aimed to assess the epidemiology of mucormycosis at eight tertiary-care centers in Iran over ten years (2010-2020).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In the current retrospective study, eligible patients were included based on positive histopathology and direct microscopy by potassium hydroxide (KOH). Data collection started on July 26, 2021, and included data from February 15, 2010, to May 16, 2020.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Diabetes mellitus was the chief underlying condition related to mucormycosis. Rhino-cerebral, rhino-sino, and rhino-sino-orbital infections were observed in 53.2%, 23.8%, and 23% of these patients. Among the 108 cases with a culture, Rhizopus species were the most prevalent, followed by Mucor species. Over half of the patients received surgery/antifungal treatment, with an overall antifungal prescribing rate of 66.7% of patients within the study period. However, surgery was associated with better clinical outcomes than surgery/antifungal treatment. The antifungals prescribed were mainly amphotericin B, posaconazole, and amphotericin-posaconazole. Most patients with mucormycosis infection were admitted in the summer. Overall mortality in the identified cases was 30.6%, with the highest mortality rate in patients diagnosed with pulmonary infection.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The current study is the largest single-country retrospective study on the topic, with 601 mucormycosis cases. It may uncover gaps in knowledge, develop recommendations for future studies, and clarify the clinical and epidemiological aspects of mucormycosis. However, future studies and clarification of mucormycosis's clinical and epidemiological aspects are highly recommended.</p>","PeriodicalId":19017,"journal":{"name":"Mycopathologia","volume":"190 5","pages":"87"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145075753","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}