Clinical features of the paranasal sinus fungus ball.

Objective: The goal of this study was to delineate the clinical features of the paranasal sinus fungus ball and to evaluate the effectiveness of transnasal endoscopic sinus surgery as a primary surgical method for treating the paranasal sinus fungus ball.

Setting: A tertiary medical centre.

Design and methods: Eighty-five patients (86 cases) who were treated for paranasal sinus fungus ball with transnasal endoscopic sinus surgery between 1995 and 2004 in our Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

Outcome measures: Clinical features, surgical techniques, operative findings, postoperative results, and complications were analyzed retrospectively.

Results: All cases were treated successfully by transnasal endoscopic sinus surgery. No recurrences or postoperative complications were observed. However, in 18 cases, fungal debris was observed when sinus irrigation was carried out at the first follow-up visit. In these cases, no additional fungal debris was found by 1.7 weeks (average) postoperatively, and no recurrences were observed.

Conclusions: Transnasal endoscopic sinus surgery, followed by postoperative nasal cavity and paranasal sinus irrigation, is effective as a primary treatment method for paranasal sinus fungus ball.