[Cerebral hematoma caused by mucormycosis].

INTRODUCTION

Invasion of the central nervous system by mucormycosis is rare. It is mainly seen in diabetic ketoacidosis, immunosensitive or severely debilitated patients and in cases of hematological neoplasias. We describe a case of cerebral hemorrhage with documented evidence of invasion of the cerebral vessels by mucormycosis, in a patient with a gastric adenocarcinoma.

CLINICAL CASE: A 38 year old woman complained of the sudden onset of headache and disorder of vision which progressed rapidly to coma. Computerized tomography showed the presence of a parieto occipital hematoma. The patient died six hours later. She had had an operation for gastric carcinoma eight months previously. Anatomopathological study of the brain showed invasion of the arterial wall by mucormycosis.

CONCLUSION

Solid tumors may lead to cerebral hemorrhage caused by mucormycosis.