Frequency of fungal agents identified in sinus samples from patients with clinically suspected rhinosinusitis

• DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2014.11.017
• Publication Date: 2014-12-03T10:17:13Z
• Authors: Alejandra Zuluaga; Johanna Ospina-Me...; Isabel Castaño-Ga...; Karen Arango; Ángel González
• Keywords: Adult; Aged, 80 and over; Male; Microbiological Techniques; Microscopy; 0303 health sciences; Adolescent; Diagnostic Tests, Routine; Fungi; Middle Aged; Sensitivity and Specificity; 3. Good health; Young Adult; 03 medical and health sciences; Cross-Sectional Studies; Mycoses; Humans; Female; Sinusitis; Child; Aged; Retrospective Studies; Rhinitis

Fungal rhinosinusitis (FRS) is one of the most important rhinosinusoidal disorders, which involves a variety of etiological agents. We carried out a study to determine the frequency of fungal agents in sinus samples from patients with clinically suspected rhinosinusitis (RS). A total of 205 clinical samples were assessed from 174 patients with clinically suspected RS, of which 48 were positive for microscopic examination and culture, 47 were positive for direct examination but negative by culture, 4 were negative for direct examination but positive by culture, and 106 were negative for both methodologies. The main fungal agents isolated were Aspergillus spp. (32.7%), followed by Schizophyllum commune (28.8%). Sensitivity and specificity of the direct examination were 92.3% and 69.3%, respectively, and concordance between the direct examination and culture was 48.4%. This study indicated that both Aspergillus and S. commune appear to be the most important agents involved in the development of FRS.