FUNGAL RHINOSINUSITIS - A PROSPECTIVE STUDY IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Background- Fungal Rhinosinusitis is a widely prevalent condition which presents as benign colonization progressing to life threatening invasive disease. Successful treatment depends upon surgical clearance along with Identification of the etiological agent and the histological type. This study was undertaken to determine the profile of fungi as etiological agents in rhinosinusitis and to correlate the histopathological findings with the fungal culture results. Materials and Methods- 51 patients with clinical diagnosis of rhinosinusitis undergoing Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS) were included in whom tissue specimens were subjected to fungal culture and histopathological examination. Results- Out of 51 patients, 37 patients(72.54 percent) had noninvasive disease and 14 patients(27.45 percent) had invasive disease. Fungal cultures were positive in 11 out of 51 patients(21.56 percent). Among the 11 fungal culture positive patients, 6 of them had noninvasive disease and 5 of them had invasive disease. Aspergillus flavus was the commonest isolate obtained(54.54 percent) followed by Aspergillus fumigatus(27.27 percent) and Rhizopus species(18.19 percent). Conclusion- An integrated diagnostic approach based on histopathological examination and fungal culture would be crucial for therapeutic interventions which in turn contributes to a reduction in morbidity , mortality and health related expenses.