Man treated for mucormycosis in private hospital in Chennai

Delay in seeking treatment left him blind in one eye and almost endangered his life, the doctors said.

A 49-year-old man, who was affected with mucormycosis involving the brain and eye, was recently treated at a private hospital. Delay in seeking treatment left him blind in one eye and almost endangered his life, the doctors said. Swamy (name changed), who was severely diabetic, had contracted COVID-19 several months ago. Soon, he began having problems with his sight and was diagnosed with rhino-orbital-cerebral syndrome owing to mucormycosis. At a super speciality hospital, ENT surgeons operated on him, and he was discharged a fortnight later. But it did not relieve him of the pain. The man consulted several ophthalmologists without relief until he was referred to Krishna Eye and ENT Hospital in the city. At the hospital, a day care centre for endoscopic surgeries of head and neck, Ophthalmologist P. Kanthamani, who examined him, said he was in denial of COVID-19 infection though his chest CT scan indicated infection.