Clinicopathological and mycological spectrum of allergic fungal sinusitis in South India

Abstract

In the present study, we describe characteristic clinicopathological and radiological features as well as fungal culture results in a series of 24 patients with allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS). Nasal obstruction and discharge with nasal polyposis was the commonest (95.8%) clinical presentation. Allergic mucin was uniformly present in all patients. Aspergillus species were the commonest fungal isolates (95.8%). One case of mixed Aspergillus and Curvularia sinusitis as well as one case of Drechslera sinusitis were also identified. Typical computerized tomography scan features of hyperdense areas interspersed with soft tissue densities in the affected sinuses were seen in all patients. Application of appropriate diagnostic criteria is essential to establish the diagnosis of AFS and distinguish it from invasive fungal sinus infections.