Trends of rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis in COVID-19 patients: An observational study

Background and Aim: Mucormycosis is a potentially lethal but rare fungal infection that is rapidly progressive. Rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis (ROCM) was the predominant presentation of COVID-19-associated mucormycosis (CAM). Hence, the present study aimed to assess the oral manifestations in CAM patients admitted to the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences-A Tertiary Health Care Center. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on hospitalized patients admitted to our tertiary health care center during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 54 patients were included in the study and were further evaluated for oral manifestations. Detailed history, clinical examination, and surgical exploration was done for all the subjects. All cases were confirmed by MRI and histopathology. Results: Data collected was subjected to descriptive and inferential statistical analyses. Patients with oral manifestations were mostly in the age range of <= 50 years which was 56.7% (n = 17). Male patients 56.7% were affected more as compared to female patients and most of the patients in our study were from rural areas 56.7%. RBS [Mean +/- standard deviation (SD)] was 304.60 +/- 100.073. On intra-oral examination 96.7% had a gingival and palatal abscess, 63.3% had tooth mobility, and palatal ulcer/perforation was seen among 56.7% of the patients. Conclusion: The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic had also created an alarming situation in India and worldwide. Mucormycosis had come as a sudden storm which has created an emergency situation in our hospital and for dental practitioners also. This was also an alarming situation for a dental practitioner for evaluating early signs and symptoms, especially in high-risk patients and decreasing mortality.