Invasive aspergillosis of tympanomastoid cavity

Abstract

Invasive aspergillosis of the tympanomastoid cavity is an extremely rare clinical incidence in comparison to the invasive fungal infections of the paranasal sinus and other parts of the body. Delay in the diagnosis and treatment of this rare clinical entity often leads to fatal complications such as skull base osteomyelitis and progressive multiple cranial nerve palsies. The invasive aspergillosis of the tympanomastoid region should be considered as a differential diagnosis for atypical mastoiditis in immunocompromised patients. Here, we report a case of invasive aspergillosis of the tympanomastoid region in a 60-year-old diabetic patient with facial nerve palsy. The diagnosis was done by the demonstration of fungi in the tissue with Gomori methenamine silver staining and confirmed with molecular diagnosis. Surgical debridement of the tympanomastoid region was done along with long-term voriconazole therapy.

Keywords

• invasive aspergillosis
• surgical debridement
• tympanomastoid cavity
• voriconazole