An unusual presentation of rhinosporidiosis

Abstract

Rhinosporidiosis is a chronic granulomatous infection of the nose and nasopharynx. It is endemic in South Asia and commonly affects males in their second to fourth decades of life. Majority of the cases are found in the upper respiratory tract such as anterior nares, nasal cavity, inferior turbinate, nasal septum, floor, and nasopharynx. Although nose or nasopharynx is the most common location for rhinosporidiosis, it can also involve the skin, parotid duct, oropharynx, and larynx. Here, we report the case of a 42-year-old male who presented with extensive rhinosporidiosis in both nasal cavities and nasopharynx along with involvement of the roof of the oral cavity through erosion of the hard palate. The mainstay of treatment is wide excision followed by electrocautery of the base which ablates the recurrence. The rhinosporidiosis mass from different sites of the attachment was completely excised along with cauterization of the base. The diagnosis was confirmed by histopathological report.

Keywords

• nasal cavity
• oral cavity
• palate
• rhinosporidiosis