Intranasal fungi and chronic rhinosinusitis: what is the relationship?

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of intranasal fungi on chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS).

Methods: Forty-one patients with CRS were included in the study. The patients were put into 2 groups, with and without intranasal fungi as detected by polymerase chain reaction, and were compared in terms of different laboratory and clinical parameters of CRS. A chi2 test was used to analyze statistical differences between the 2 groups.

Results: Serum eosinophilia, eosinophilia in the nasal mucus, prick and intradermal test positivity for fungi, elevated total IgE, fungal-specific IgE, prevalence of symptoms, frequency of bronchial asthma, aspirin sensitivity, and nasal polyposis did not differ significantly between the 2 groups of patients (p > .05).

Conclusions: The findings of this study failed to reveal a clear correlation between the presence of fungi in the nasal passage and various factors that are assumed to be involved in the pathogenesis or clinical course of CRS. If fungi have a role in the pathogenesis of CRS, it may be via other mediators and reactions rather than IgE and type I hypersensitivity. However, the sample size was relatively small, and further studies with more cases are needed on the same topic.