The 68-year-old covid patient was suffering from Mucormycosis
Chennai-based MGM Healthcare has successfully conducted an emergency endoscopic transnasal orbital surgery to treat a 68-year-old female COVID-infected patient who got seriously affected with Black fungus (Mucormycosis).
The patient was being treated for COVID pneumonia with systemic steroids and oxygen supplementation for the past two weeks. She reported a persistent headache on her right side and blood-tinged nasal discharge along with drooping of the right eyelid recently. She was then shifted to MGM Healthcare for further treatment and clinical examination at the hospital revealed an extremely tender right side of the face with painful restricted eye movements and her inability to open the right eye.
The patient was immunocompetent but had elevated blood sugar levels during treatment. ENT surgeons at MGM Healthcare performed a diagnostic nasal endoscopy which showed blackish nasal mucosa in patches and gave rise to the clinical suspicion of mucormycosis which was further confirmed by histopathology. Radiological investigations revealed invasive fungal disease limited to the right naso-orbital region involving frontal and ethmoid sinuses.
“After thorough surgical planning, a modified endoscopic transnasal surgical approach was adopted to reach the anatomical areas affected by the disease,” explained Professor Dr Sanjeev Mohanty, Senior Consultant and Head, Institute of ENT, Head & Neck Surgery.
He added, “The transorbital surgery in this case entailed the use of multiple angled high-definition endoscopes and appropriate instruments, which are imp, important to obtain the required degree of precision and key to a successful outcome. In this case, time was of primary essence as black fungus (mucormycosis) had invaded the para nasal sinuses and orbit of the patient. Through this emergency, endoscopic surgery helped to it helped to mitigate the spread of the deadly fungus and remove the dead tissues with a course of anti-fungal therapy for optimum cure simultaneously.”
