Combination therapy for chronic invasive rhinocerebral aspergillosis in a clinically immunocompetent patient

Background: Adequate therapy for chronic invasive rhinocerebral aspergillosis in immunocompetent patients is controversial. The incidence of the disease is high in the Sudan and the Middle East. Misinterpretation of diagnostic criteria, failure to verify tissue invasion of fungi, and a lack of understanding of the pathophysiology of various forms of fungal rhinosinusitis lead to controversies in nomenclature, diagnosis, and therapy. Objective: The aim of this report was to detail the clinical presentation and the endoscopic and imaging study findings of a patient with invasive Aspergillus rhinosinusitis with endocranial and orbital extension. This patient was treated with surgical debridement and a combination of antifungal drugs and immunomodulatory therapy. Methods: Endoscopic debridement and high-dose liposomal amphotericin B, in combination with flucytosine and immunomodulators, were used to treat this patient. Results: After treatment, the patient experienced 3 years of disease-free follow-up. Conclusion: Surgical debridement and high-dose systemic combined antifungal therapy with immunomodulatory drugs produced an excellent long-term result for this apparently immunocompetent patient with extensive invasive fungal rhinosinusitis with cerebral and orbital involvement. Copyright (C) 2003 Excerpta Medica, Inc.