[Aspergillosis of the nasal sinuses]

Aspergillosis of the paranasal sinuses is located mainly in the maxillary sinus, in a few cases in the sphenoid sinus. In typical cases the infection is unilateral. As a rule, the infection leads to a concrement formation in the diseased sinus. This concrement is sometimes characterised by dense masses of calcium phosphate, which seem like metallic structures on x-ray film. With regard to the course of aspergillosis in the paranasal sinuses, we must distinguish between an invasive-destructive form and a non-invasive form. The non-invasive form can be healed by removing the mycotic masses by surgical procedures. In the course of the invasive-destructive form, surgical procedures must be supported by systemic antimycotic treatment. Nevertheless, prognosis in these cases is poor. Finally, it is pointed out that aspergillus infections of the paranasal sinuses can occur even without clearly established immunological deficiencies.