According to a retrospective observational multicentric trial, the risk of COVID-19-Associated Rhino-Orbito-Cerebral Mucormycosis (C-ROCM) development and its complication  may rise in individuals with more severe Covid-19 infection, intensive care unit (ICU) hospitalization, over-prescription of steroids, and poor glycemic control during and after coronavirus disease treatment. Investigators set out to discover the epidemiologic features, risk factors, and outcome predictors of C-ROCM.

Data on pathology-proven C-ROCM patients were collected retrospectively. Binary logistic regression was used in both univariate and multivariate studies to evaluate the impact of various factors on the result. The study comprised 132 individuals with C-ROCM with a mean age of 61.6 ± 13.9 (60.6% male). Notably, in 9.1% of patients (n = 12), both eyes were involved. The most prevalent comorbidity was diabetes (94.7%).

The mortality rate was reported to be 9.1%, greater in males (12.5%) when compared to females (3.8%). In 58 individuals (43.9%), severe visual impairment was seen. In the univariate study, involvement of the brain, severity of COVID-19, higher HbA1c level, greater steroid dose, and older age were the main variables that had a negative effect on the results.

Age, steroid dosage, and COVID-19 intensity all had less impact in the multivariate analysis, and the difference ceased to be clinically meaningful. In the univariate analysis, central retinal artery occlusion was a predictor of mortality (odds ratio = 4.50), but this impact diminished and was no longer profound in the multivariate analysis. Thus, closer adherence to the COVID-19 disease treatment plan and effective steroid administration should be considered.