Cancrum Oris-associated with Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Forgotten Disease

Abstract

AbstractCancrum oris is an orofacial gangrene, which during its fulminating course causes, progressive and mutilating destruction of the infected tissues with a consortium of microorganisms. This condition is considered to represent the “face of poverty” because factors connected with poverty, such as chronic malnutrition, poor oral hygiene and sanitation, faecal contamination, and exposure to viral and bacterial infections in an immunosupressed host contribute to disease progression. This condition is seen almost exclusively among the young children and carries a high mortality rate.We present a case of cancrum oris in a 45 years old lady being treated for acute myeloid leukemia with chemotherapy, who in addition to a polymicrobial bacterial infection had superinfection with Mucormycosis.