Scleroma (rhinoscleroma) in a Nigerian maxillo-facial practice. Review and case reports

Scleroma (rhinoscleroma), a chronic granulomatous disease of the upper respiratory tract, is endemic within a confined distribution of geographic foci. Sporadic cases and those arising in poorly defined foci may be unexpected and difficult to diagnose. Three cases from a maxillo-facial unit in northern Nigeria are described, of which two simulated intranasal neoplasms and the third had atypical clinical features. These cases form the first substantial description of scleroma in Nigeria, a country that is part of an indefinite focus of the disease. The epidemiology, clinical features, pathology and diagnosis of scleroma are reviewed.