Efficacy of Various Treatment Modalities and Clinical Characteristics of Invasive and Noninvasive Fungal Sinusitis

Background: There are three basic types of fungal sinusitis: noninvasive, invasive, and allergic. Both noninvasive and invasive fungal sinusitis necessarily require surgery with or without antifungal treatment. This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of treatment modalities and clinical characteristics between pathologically proven noninvasive and invasive fungal sinusitis. Methods: 40 patients pathologically proven to have fungal sinusitis from July, 1990 to January, 2000 were enrolled in this study. This retrospective study was performed in Severance Hospital, Yong-Dong Severance Hostpital and Ah-Joo University Hospital. The efficacy of treatment modalities and prognosis between pathologically proven noninvasive group (group A) and invasive group (group B) were evaluated. Results: Of the total 40 patients, 13 were male and 27 were female, and the mean age was 51.6±14.2 years. 32 patients belonged to noninvasive group and 8 patients belonged to invasive group. Of the total 40 patients, 20 (50%) patients had underlying diseases, such as 8 cases of Diabetes Mellitus, 3 cases of hematologic malignancy, 2 cases of solid cancer, 1 case of steroid overuse, and the others 6 cases. In group A, only 12 patients (37.5%) had underlying diseases, however, all 8 patients (100%) in group B had underlying diseases. All 32 patients of group A went chronic course but in group B, all 8 patients appeard to be acute in course. The pathogens were classified to 36 cases of Aspergillus spp. (69.2%), 3 cases of Rhizopus spp. (5.8%), and 1 case of Candida spp. (1.9%). As for the treatment modalities, in group A, 30 cases had surgery only and 2 cases performed surgery and antifungal treatment. Both showed 100% of treatment efficacy. In group B, 5 cases were treated with antifungal therapy only and 2 cases performed surgery and antifungal treatment. The former showed 20% and the latter, 33% of treatment efficacy. Noninvasive fungal sinusitis revealed good results even in surgery only therapy, but invasive fungal sinusitis tended to reveal better results in both surgery and antifungal treatment. Conclusion: The pathologic type of fungal sinusitis is now thought to be very important for the choice of treatment modalities and efficacy of treatment. Also the type of pathogens, immunologic state of patients, and early diagnosis of fungal sinusitis attribute to the treatment efficacy of fungal sinusitis.ope