Noninvasive fungal rhinosinusitis: a case series

Introduction: Fungal rhinosinusitis (FRS) remains a rare disease. The noninvasive forms are hard to diagnose. The management protocols remain controversial. We aim to describe the clinical, radiological and pathological features of noninvasive FRS and present our management protocol and follow-up results. Patients and methods: This descriptive study was conducted in the ear-nose-throat department of the university hospital, Taher Sfar in Mahdia, Tunisia. All patients who responded to the definition of noninvasive FRS (fungal balls and allergic fungal sinusitis) were included. The study was conducted over a three year period (May 2017 – April 2021). Results: Eleven patients were included in this study: four cases of fungal balls and seven cases of allergic fungal sinusitis. Patients presented with symptoms of chronic recurrent rhinosinusitis with no response to conventional treatments. Computed tomodensitometry scan showed opacification of the paranasal sinuses in all patients. Other signs were heterogeneous opacities, local calcifications and thinning of the bony walls of the sinuses. Histopathological findings were inflammatory polyps in all cases of allergic FRS with the presence of fungal hyphae in 42.8% of the cases. All patients underwent surgery after a median delay of 12 [6–24] months of the symptom’s onset. The used procedures were endoscopic middle meatal antrostomy for all patients, ethmoidectomy (81.8%) and sphenoidotomy (36.4%). None received systemic antifungals or corticosteroids with a favorable outcome in all cases. Conclusion: Symptoms of noninvasive FRS are nonspecific. The scan images contribute to the diagnosis, but the perioperative findings and the histopathological results remain crucial. The management is mainly surgical.

The Prevalence Of Allergic Fungal Sinusitis Among Patients With Nasal Polyps Presenting In A Tertiary Care Hospital

Background: Nasal polyp are pediculate overgrowths of sino nasal mucosa in the nasal cavity. Association of nasal polyps and allergic fungal sinusitis has been narrated in literature. This research has been conducted with a rationale of finding nasal polyps with fungal sinusitis. Aim: To find the generality between both chronic nasal polyps and chronic fungal sinusitis in tertiary hospital of capital province. Methods: Our study was conducted in a random pattern. It included 100 patients of nasal polyps who reported to ENT unit-II Jinnah Hospital Lahore from 1st Decmemcer,2019 to 31st August 2020. The interpretation of the data was done though 18th version of statistical software SPSS. Results: In our study, out of 100 cases of nasal polyps, 72(72%) cases were segregated between age group of 15 years to age group of 50 years while 28%(n=28) were segregated between the age group of 5th decade to 7th decade, the value of mean standard deviation +sd was measured and narrated as 41.1+12.67 years, 55(55%) were females while 45(45%) were male patients, however the final analysis of polyps in the nose with presence of fungal sinusitis was gathered around 18(18%) of the cases. Conclusion: The net analysis of our research helped us to device a rationale that nasal polyps and fungal sinusitis were inter related. There was a vast majority of nasal polyposis diseased patients having fungal sinusitis at the same time. This observation in a tertiary care hospital is an important landmark for analysis of all patients with nasal polypoidal disease to be scanned for fungal sinusitis at the same time. Keywords: Nasal polyps, allergic fungal sinusitis, frequency

Study to Determine the Incidence of Allergic Fungal Sinusitis among Patients with Nasal Polyps and Its Related Risk Factors

Aim: To govern the incidence of allergic fungal sinusitis in patients with nasal polyposis. Various anatomical risk factors were also investigated, including turbinate hypertrophy, deviated nasal septum and comorbidities such as asthma and diabetes. Study Design: This is a Descriptive cross-sectional study. Place and duration of study:The study was conducted at ENT Head &Neck Surgery department, Lady Reading Hospital MTI, Peshawar and Azra Nahid Medical College, Lahore for the duration of six months from May 2020 to October 2020. Methods: 110 patients with nasal polyps were evaluated and operated on. Samples were sent for histopathological examination and culture. All patients were assessed with clinical examination and detailed history. Laboratory tests were performed including complete blood counts, urea, electrolytes, ECG and chest radiographs for the suitability of general anesthesia as a prerequisite for surgery. In 95% of cases, computed tomography was recommended to check for sinus involvement, bone erosion, osteo-hypertrophic complex, turbinate hypertrophy, nasal septal deviation, and intracranial and intra-orbital enlargement. MRI examinations were also recommended in cases of suspected intraocular and intracranial disease (5%). Data was scrutinized on a computer using SPSS version 22.0. Results:Of the 110 patients, 65 were male and 45 were female, with a mean age of 1and ranged from 7 to 80 years. All patients had nasal polyps. The incidence of AFS was approximately 29.1% and the remaining 78 had a different pathology. Major deviation of the nasal septum and bilateral hypertrophy of the inferior turbinate’s were observed in 6 (18.7%) and 4 (12.5%) patients, respectively. Unilateral nasal polyps were observed in 7 (21.9%) patients and bilateral nasal polyps in 18 (52.3%). 19/32 (59.4%) of the cases underwent functional endoscopic surgery of the paranasal sinuses, and in 6 (18.7%) external fronto-ethmoidectomy. Two patients underwent nasal ethmoidectomy. Septoplasty and endoscopic sinus surgery were performed in a total of 3 (9.37%) cases. Key words:Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), Allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS).

Efficacy of Post-Operative Oral Prednisolone for the Control of Disease in Allergic Fungal Sinusitis

Background: Ambiguity persists regarding the dosage, frequency, and duration for the use of oral steroids in Allergic Fungal Sinusitis (AFS). Objective: To assess the efficacy of post-operative oral steroid (prednisolone) for the control of disease in Allergic Fungal Sinusitis. Methodology: This was a comparative study, conducted at Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur from January 2019 to March 2019. A total of 40 patients, aged 18 or above with weight over 50 kilograms, having proved Allergic Fungal Sinusitis (AFS) as per criteria defined by Deshazo and Swain, were recruited for this study. All the patients were enrolled within 14 days of excisive sinus surgery adopting endoscopic sinus surgery with or without open methods. Group A (n=20) received oral steroids while Group B (n=20) received a placebo. Patients of both groups also used fluticasone nasal spray and oral itraconazole. Evaluation of all the patients was done at the time of enrollment, 6 and 12 weeks. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 21. Results: Out of a total of 40 patients, 17 (42.5%) were males. After 6 weeks of continuous therapy in both the study groups, 14 (70%) patients of Group A showed complete relief of symptoms in comparison to none in Group B (p-value = 0.001). After 12 weeks of therapy having tapering off in both study groups, all patients in Group A had complete relief of symptoms in comparison to only one (5%) in Group B (p-value = 0.001). Conclusion: Oral steroids of prednisolone, along with inhaled steroids therapy for a minimum of 12 weeks after excisive sinus surgery were found efficacious for the control of disease in patients with Allergic Fungal Sinusitis.