Hepatic and Small Bowel Mucormycosis after Chemotherapy in a Patient with Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

We present a case of a 64-year-old woman with acute myeloid leukemia who developed a hepatic abscess during the neutropenic period after induction chemotherapy. To treat the abscess, meropenem and ciprofloxacin were administered to target Klebsiella pneumoniae and percutaneous drainage performed. As a result, the patient's fever and c-reactive protein (CRP) subsequently improved. After six weeks of antibiotic therapy, an abdominal computed tomography scan revealed remains of the liver abscess as well as an ileus in the small bowel. Molds from the Mucor genus were cultured from repeated liver abscess drainage and an abscess wall biopsy confirmed hepatic mucormycosis. Along with administration of amphotericin-B deoxycholate for four weeks, we performed lobectomy for hepatic mucormycosis and small bowel resection for a suspected small bowel mucormycosis. After these operations, the patient received liposomal amphotericin B for three weeks and was then maintained with oral posaconazole for more than four weeks. Our case report suggests that hepatic mucormycosis should be considered when a hepatic abscess exhibits a retarded response to antibacterial agents, especially for patients with risk factors. In addition, because an isolated hepatic mucormycosis is infrequent, a thorough search for the extent of the disease is necessary before surgical resection. © 2012 by The Korean Society of Infectious Diseases Korean Society for Chemotherapy.