Open AccessPhaeohyphomycosis masquerading as a palatal neoplasm in a patient who is immunocompetent
Author(s) -
Manish Shukla,
Vidyarani,
Anitha Mathews,
Manoj Pandey
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
bmj case reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.231
H-Index - 26
ISSN - 1757-790X
DOI - 10.1136/bcr.03.2009.1721
Subject(s) - phaeohyphomycosis , medicine , sinusitis , fistula , sinus (botany) , biopsy , maxillary sinus , surgery , dermatology , radiology , biology , botany , genus
A female patient presented with facial pain, discharge and headache. She had undergone excision of a palatal swelling 2 weeks previously, following which she had developed an oroantral fistula with necrosis of the palate. Imaging studies were suggestive of chronic sinusitis. A biopsy from the maxillary antrum revealed phaeohyphomycosis, a group of fungal infections caused by saprophytic fungi. The patient was treated with antifungal treatment and had a complete response. Phaeohyphomycosis is of rare occurrence in the paranasal sinus and in patients who are immunocompetant. There are only eight previous reports of this occurrence in the literature worldwide.