A prospective clinical and micro-pathological study of fungal infection of ear, nose and throat in a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Fungi are ubiquitous in the environment. Human beings are constantly exposed to their infection daily. The upper respiratory tract, i.e. ear, nose and throat are constantly exposed to various airborne fungal spores. Over 1,00,000 species of fungi have been described of which only 100 are recognized as pathogenic for human and animals. Materials and methods: This prospective consecutive study was done in Department of ENT, Central Hospital Ramgarh, Ramgarh. Written informed consent was taken from every patient before start of study. The study comprised of 136 patients were selected from the Outpatients Department of Otorhinolaryngology after confirmation of fungal infection. The study was carried out for a period of eight months (from July 2020 to February 2021). Results: Predisposition factors and organism isolation in ear, nose and throat of patients were showed in their percentage. Conclusion: It may be concluded that Aspergillus species were most common isolated organism in ear and nose sinusitis. Candida ablicans was common isolated organism in throat. Dentures were causative factor in establishing Candida infection. Medical therapy has begun to shift an emphasis from systemic antifungal therapy to various forms of topical treatment and immunomodulation.