Invasive fungal infections

Invasive fungal infections of the nasal and paranasal sinuses are rare. They have to be differentiated from the more frequent allergic-hyperergic fungal sinusitis, where the fungi appear only in the nasal mucus. Tissue invasion of fungi has mainly been described in immunocompromised patients and was lethal in most cases. We present 2 cases of invasive mycosis of the paranasal sinuses and describe the clinical appearance, diagnosis and therapy. The use of itraconazole appears promising for systemic antifungal treatment, which has to be added to surgical treatment. It is also superior to amphotericin B in terms of better effectiveness, fewer side effects and the possibility of oral administration.