Basilar artery occlusion after multifactor coagulopathy including Rhizopus oryzae infection in burns.

The authors report a case of a 29-year-old male patient with severe burn injuries (54% TBSA) and inhalation injury. He developed a candidemia and a cutaneous zygomycotic superinfection with Rhizopus oryzae while he received burn intensive care. Despite aggressive surgery, sepsis persisted, and therapy was limited by uncontrollable coagulopathy and catecholamine refractory shock after 15 days. Autopsy revealed a thromboembolic occlusion of the basilar artery that resulted in liquefactive necrosis of the basal brain tissue and the brain stem. Because cerebral vessel occlusions after burn injuries are reported rarely, the current literature was reviewed, and possible pathophysiological aspects are discussed.