ArticleEClinicalMedicine2025
The diagnosis of mucormycosis by PCR in patients at risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Article in EClinicalMedicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
25 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Diagnostic performance of panfungal PCR on tissue specimens for the diagnosis of invasive fungal diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the Fungal PCR Initiative (FPCRI).Journal of clinical microbiology · 2026Pooled it
- Sensitivity and Specificity of Polymerase Chain Reaction in Blood and Bronchoalveolar Lavage Samples for Mucormycosis: A Bayesian Diagnostic Test Accuracy Meta-Analysis.Mycopathologia · 2025Pooled it
- Infection metallomics of pulmonary mucormycosis: multi-omics study of siderophore secretion, neutrophil recruitment, and lipid remodeling in rat lungs.Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry · 2026Article
- Dual Invasive Fungal Infections After Kidney Transplantation: A Case Report.Journal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Diagnostic Failure in Invasive Fungal Infections: Causes, Clinical Consequences, and Mitigation Strategies.Journal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Mucorales PCR for the rapid diagnosis of mucormycosis: 6 years of testing in a national reference laboratory and tertiary hospital.Journal of clinical microbiology · 2026Article
- A modulation-based encryption framework integrating channel and artificial noise for DNA storage.iScience · 2026Article
- OesophagealMedical mycology case reports · 2026Article
- Invasive Pulmonary Mucormycosis Due to Rhizopus oryzae in a Patient With Uncontrolled Diabetes.Cureus · 2026Article
- Molecular Mechanisms of Mucormycosis Pathogenesis: Host-Pathogen Interactions and Immune Evasion.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Review
- Efficacy and safety of amphotericin B colloidal dispersion in the treatment of mucormycosis: a real-world observation.BMC infectious diseases · 2026Observational
- Biomarkers in Invasive Pulmonary Fungal Infections: Where Do We Stand?Journal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Review
- Novel diagnostic approaches and therapeutic management of mucormycosis: insights from a retrospective monocentric cohort study.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Breakthrough rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis caused byFrontiers in medicine · 2026Review
- Mucorales PCR Testing in Respiratory and Biopsy Samples From Immunocompromised Patients With Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis and Other Mold Infections: Results From a Multicenter ECMM Study.Open forum infectious diseases · 2026Article
- Understanding the biology of mucormycosis using contemporary omics tools: a review.Biotechnologia · 2026Review
- Accuracy and actionability of mold PCR on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid for diagnosis of invasive mold disease.Journal of clinical microbiology · 2025Article
- Evidence of Possible Mucormycosis Coinfection, Detected by Plasma Mucorales PCR, in Patients with Proven or Probable Aspergillosis.Infection & chemotherapy · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
29 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine the performance of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for diagnosing mucormycosis. Methods: A standardised search was conducted from conception to December 3rd 2024 using PubMed, Embase, Global Health, and Cochrane library. Original studies that used PCR-based methods on any human specimen to diagnose mucormycosis were analysed for eligibility. Using a bivariate meta-analysis, the diagnostic performance of PCR was examined against the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer-Mycoses Study Group Education and Research Consortium 2020 (EORTC-MSGERC) definitions of proven and probable invasive mould disease, which was modified to include all patients at risk of mucormycosis. The study protocol was registered on the PROSPERO database (CRD42023478667). Findings: Of 4855 articles, a total of 30 met inclusion criteria, including 5920 PCR reactions on 5147 non-duplicate specimens from 819 cases of proven/probable mucormycosis and 4266 patients who did not meet the EORTC-MSGERC 2020 criteria. According to specimen type, sensitivity of PCR varied (p < 0.001) whereas specificity was similar (p = 0.662). Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid offered the highest sensitivity of 97.5% (95% CI 83.7-99.7%), specificity of 95.8% (95% CI 89.6-98.4%), positive likelihood ratio (LR+) of 23.5, and negative likelihood ratio (LR-) of 0.03. Tissue provided sensitivity of 86.4% (95% CI 78.9-91.5%), specificity of 90.6% (95% CI 78.1-96.3%), LR+ of 9.2, and LR- of 0.15. Blood provided reduced sensitivity of 81.6% (95% CI 70.1-89.4%), specificity of 95.5% (95% CI 87.4-98.5%), DOR of 95, LR+ of 18.3, and LR- of 0.19. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens yielded the lowest sensitivity of 73.0% (95% CI 61.0-82.3%), highest specificity of 96.4% (CI 95% 87.5-99.0%), LR+ of 20.2, and LR- of 0.28. The covariates best explaining heterogeneity of the overall analysis were specimen type, study design (cohort Interpretation: This meta-analysis confirms the high performance of PCR for diagnosing mucormycosis and supports the instatement of PCR detection of free-DNA in blood, BALF and tissue into future updated definitions and diagnostic guidelines for mucormycosis. Funding: None.
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