Mycotic Eosinophilic Rhinosinusitis

Overview

Mycotic eosinophil rhinosinusitis causes diagnostic and in particular etiopathogeneticdifficulties. Although it is associated with classical manifestations of allergy, the latter canbe detected only in a minor proportion of patients. There are also doubts on the action of fungi asthe primary noxious agent. A typical sign is a mucous exudate containing mycotic hyphae anddisintegrating eosinophils originating from the mucosa, Charcot-Layden’s crystals and large basicproteins. The tissues are not infiltrated by fungi. The troublesome disease is clinically manifestedsimilarly as the ASA syndrome. In treatment dominate palliative endoscopic rhinosinosurgery andcorticoids. The disease belongs into the group of non-allergic rhinosinusitis with the eosinophilsyndrome (NARES); it has nothing in common with the caseous mycotic sinusitis characterizedabove all by the formation of mycetomas, nor with lethal invasive forms of fungal rhinosinusitis.

Key words:
rhinosinusitis, fungi, eosinophilia.