Necrotizing cellulitis due to Rhizopus arrhizus in an extremely premature infant

Álvaro Hoyos; María Adelaida Mejía; Verónica Herrera; Andrés Soto; Clara Rico

doi:10.1016/j.idcr.2020.e00754

Necrotizing cellulitis due to Rhizopus arrhizus in an extremely premature infant

IDCases. 2020 Apr 9:20:e00754. doi: 10.1016/j.idcr.2020.e00754. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Álvaro Hoyos¹, María Adelaida Mejía², Verónica Herrera³, Andrés Soto⁴, Clara Rico¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatrics, Clínica Universitaria Bolivariana, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Carrera 72A No. 78B-50, Medellín, Colombia.
² Department of Dermatology, Clínica Universitaria Bolivariana, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Carrera 72A No. 78B-50, Medellín, Colombia.
³ Pathology Laboratory, Clínica Universitaria Bolivariana, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana Clínica Vida Fundación, Carrera 72A No. 78B-50, Medellín, Colombia.
⁴ Dinamica Microbiology Laboratory, Clínica Universitaria Bolivariana, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Carrera 72A No. 78B-50, Medellín, Colombia.

Abstract

We report an extremely premature infant with necrotizing cellulitis. After minor trauma to the left arm when removing an adhesive sensor, patient developed rapidly progressive cellulitis, which evolved into a necrotic ulcer. Microbiological studies (mass spectroscopy and molecular assay) identified Rhizopus arrhizus as the responsible fungus.

Keywords: Diagnosis; Mucormycosis; Necrotizing cellulitis; Premature infant.

Publication types

Case Reports