Orbital infection due to Saksenaea loutrophoriformis in an immunocompetent adolescent: A case report

Dolatabadi, Somayeh; Aelami, Mohammad Hasan; Najafzadeh, Mohammad Javad; Etezad Razavi, Mohammad; Sasan, Mohammad Saeid; Houbraken, Jos

doi:10.22034/cmm.2026.345464.1697

Orbital infection due to Saksenaea loutrophoriformis in an immunocompetent adolescent: A case report

Document Type : Case report

Authors

Somayeh Dolatabadi ¹

Mohammad Hasan Aelami ²

Mohammad Javad Najafzadeh ³

Mohammad Etezad Razavi ⁴

Mohammad Saeid Sasan ²

Jos Houbraken ⁵

¹ Department of Biology, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran

² Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

³ Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

⁴ Ophthalmology, Eye Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

⁵ Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands

10.22034/cmm.2026.345464.1697

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Mucormycosis is a rare fungal infection which can cause acute, disfiguring, and angioinvasive infections in immunocompromised patients with high mortality and morbidity rates. However, this study aimed to present the case of a healthy 7-year-old female.
Case presentation: An immunocompetent female with orbital mucormycosis caused by Saksenaea loutrophoriformis from Mashhad, Iran was admitted to the hospital. This rare infection was the consequence of an injury due to a tree branch. The causative agent was identified by histopathology, routine mycological methods, and DNA sequencing of the Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 and 2 regions, including the intervening 5.8S gene and the partial large subunit region D1 and D2.
Results: The patient was successfully treated with surgical debridement and antifungal treatment of amphotericin B and oral posaconazole.
Conclusion: Molecular diagnosis is crucial in the absence of sporulation to avoid misidentification and late diagnosis. This report of a rare infection in an immunocompetent host is valuable for awareness of clinicians.

Keywords

Mucorales

DNA sequencing

Saksenaea loutrophoriformis

Case report

Subjects