TITLE:
Nasal Rhinosporidiosis in a Nigerian Child: A Rare Clinical Entity
AUTHORS:
Daniel Aliyu, Sadikku Mallami Sahabi
KEYWORDS:
Rhinosporidiosis; Nasal Mass; Fungal; Child; Nigeria; Granulomatous
JOURNAL NAME:
International Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery,
Vol.3 No.1,
January
16,
2014
ABSTRACT: Background: Rhinosporidiosis
is a rare chronic granulomatous disease characterized by polypous lesion of the mucous membrane caused
by rhinosporidium seeberi which predominantly affects the mucous membrane of the Naso-pharynx, conjuctiva and palate. Rhinosporidiosis
can be easily misdiagnosed as a neoplastic
disease, and hence, it is necessary to educate the public and medical community about this emerging disease
entity in our region. Aim: To report a rare case of nasal rhinosporidiosis
in a 13-year-old male patient from Sokoto, North Western Nigeria. Case Report: A 13-year-old male Quranic child from gwadabawa village in Sokoto State, North Western Nigeria, whose parents are rice farmers, presented in the ENT clinic of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital with 15-month history of intermittent epistaxis and left
nasal mass noticed one month before
presenting. He was examined clinically and a pinkish polypoidal mass arising from
the septum and filling the left nasal cavity was seen. He subsequently
had a biopsy of the mass
and histopathological examination with special histochemical staining, which confirmed
rhinosporidiosis. Conclusion:
Rhinospridiosis is an unusual cause of nasal masses in our region and is probably
a fungal disease. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case in this region. This lesion largely
mimics ordinary nasal polyp; therefore, it is an important possible differential diagnosis to be considered
in our region when evaluating patients with nasal masses.