Clinical, Epidemiological, and Oral-Related Factors in Post-COVID-19 Mucormycosis Patients: A Systematic Review of Case Reports

Authors

  • Guillermo Cano-Verdugo Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Salud Pública y Nutrición. Calle Dr. Eduardo Aguirre Pequeño No. 905, Col. Mitras Centro, CP. 64460, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México. Universidad Científica del Sur, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida y Salud, Carrera de Estomatología. Ctra. Panamericana Sur Km. 19, Villa El Salvador, CP. 15067, Lima, Perú. Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4905-1939
  • Manuel López Cabanillas-Lomelí Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Salud Pública y Nutrición. Calle Dr. Eduardo Aguirre Pequeño No. 905, Col. Mitras Centro, CP. 64460, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México. Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6033-3654
  • Myriam Angélica De la Garza-Ramos Universidad Científica del Sur, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida y Salud, Carrera de Estomatología. Ctra. Panamericana Sur Km. 19, Villa El Salvador, CP. 15067, Lima, Perú. Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Odontología. Calle Dr. Eduardo Aguirre Pequeño y Silao, Col. Mitras Centro, CP. 64460, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México. Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0792-3695
  • Georgina Mayela Núñez-Rocha Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Salud Pública y Nutrición. Calle Dr. Eduardo Aguirre Pequeño No. 905, Col. Mitras Centro, CP. 64460, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México. Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5789-774X
  • José Ángel Hernández-Mariano Hospital Juárez de México, División de Investigación. Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional No. 5160, Col. Magdalena de las Salinas, Del. Gustavo A. Madero, CP. 07760, Ciudad de México, México. Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0339-5610
  • María Natividad Ávila-Ortíz Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Salud Pública y Nutrición. Calle Dr. Eduardo Aguirre Pequeño No. 905, Col. Mitras Centro, CP. 64460, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México. Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6164-4000

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15517/avtefb51

Keywords:

Mucormycosis; Case reports; COVID 19; Oral medicine; Systematic review; Oral health.

Abstract

Oral mucormycosis has become a significant concern due to increased cases during the COVID-19 pandemic, potentially linked to corticosteroid-induced immune suppression. This study reviews case reports to identify and describe the clinical and epidemiological factors associated with post-COVID-19 mucormycosis from a dental perspective. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Google Scholar, DOAJ, and NIH Library databases yielded 32 relevant case reports from an initial 180. The average age of patients was 53 years, with 21.9% having a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis one month prior to mucormycosis diagnosis. Corticosteroid use was reported in 65.6% of cases. Common symptoms included pain (65.6%), swelling (21.9%), and ocular pain (12.5%), with Amphotericin B being the predominant treatment (59.4%). Oral manifestations such as maxillary bone exposure (21.9%) and dental abscesses (31.3%) were noted. This study highlights a potential link between corticosteroids and mucormycosis, despite limitations in report consistency and follow-up data, offering valuable insights for clinical management of post-COVID-19 mucormycosis.

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Published

2025-09-05