A Case of Fungus Ball in the Nasal Cavity Imitating a Rhinolith

Abstract

Fungus balls are a chronic and non-invasive fungal infection. Despite being relatively common in the paranasal sinuses, they are rare in the nasal cavity. The etiology of fungus balls in the nasal cavity is unknown. Fungus balls generally develop slowly and asymptomatically. When symptomatic, they can cause symptoms similar to those of chronic sinusitis or intranasal masses, such as nasal obstruction, nasal and post- nasal discharge, head and face pain, and smell perception disorders. The preferred treatment of fungus balls in the nasal cavity is functional en- doscopic sinus surgery and debridement. This case report describes a 50-year-old woman operated with a preliminary diagnosis of rhinolith but finally diagnosed with fungus ball as a result of histopathological examination.