Fungal sinusitis can be fatal due to complications in the skull. However, the disease is difficult to detect early as it does not present any specific symptoms.
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| Fungal masses removed from the sinus (Photo: nld) |
Ms. Thanh (a gardener in Phuoc Dong, Khanh Hoa) had been suffering from headaches at the top and back of her head for an entire year. She then experienced numbness on the left side of her face and frequently had bloody nasal discharge. Despite being treated for sinusitis, her condition did not improve. At Cho Ray Hospital, after a CT scan and endoscopic surgery, she was diagnosed with fungal sinusitis. After one month of antifungal medication, the numbness in her face decreased, leaving only mild headaches.
Ms. Thanh was fortunate to be diagnosed in time. In contrast, Ms. Trang (also a gardener in Cho Lach, Ben Tre) had a very different fate. This patient suffered from sphenoid and ethmoid sinusitis with complications in the skull, leading to continuous headaches and vomiting, extreme weakness, bulging eyes, and dilated pupils. Although she was treated with antifungal medication, her condition was too severe, and she later passed away.
Overuse of antibiotics increases the risk of fungal sinusitis
At the Ear, Nose, and Throat Department of Ho Chi Minh City Hospital, in recent years, the department treats about 70 cases of fungal sinusitis annually, often found in the maxillary and sphenoid sinuses of patients with long-term sinusitis. The overuse of antibiotics creates favorable conditions for fungal growth. Dr. Nguyen Thi Quynh Lan, head of the department, stated that fungal sinusitis was not common in the past, but in recent years, the market has been flooded with strong antibiotics, leading patients to misuse them, causing the incidence of the disease to increase nearly threefold compared to before.
A study in Ho Chi Minh City found that all cases of fungal sinusitis had been ill for over a year, with nearly 60% lasting 2-5 years, and some even more than 5 years. The disease is commonly seen in farmers or those living and working in damp conditions, frequently exposed to decaying grains, organic waste, and rotting straw… The most common fungus found in the sinuses is Aspergillus, which causes disease when there are favorable factors such as blockage of the nasal-sinus openings due to chronic sinusitis, nasal polyps, or foreign bodies. Those with weakened immune systems (due to blood disorders, chemotherapy, or immunosuppressive treatment) or systemic diseases like diabetes, prolonged corticosteroid use, or broad-spectrum antibiotics are more susceptible to fungal sinusitis.
Dr. Tran Minh Truong, head of the Ear, Nose, and Throat Department at Cho Ray Hospital, stated that in the early stages, the symptoms are not specific, except in cases of bloody nasal discharge. Patients often think they have common illnesses (like headaches or colds) and therefore overlook or do not seek the right specialist care, leading to late diagnosis. When fungi invade surrounding tissues, the condition usually becomes severe with symptoms such as dizziness, imbalance, vomiting, and can lead to dangerous complications like blindness, meningitis, ruptured carotid artery, pituitary gland abscess, and cavernous sinus thrombosis…
If the disease is detected early, treatment is not complicated: patients will receive antifungal medication after undergoing endoscopic surgery to remove the fungal mass and wash out the pus in the sinus.
