Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-01T03:09:45.668Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Rhinosporidiosis of trachea: a clinical cause for concern

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 March 2017

R Arora
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
R Gupta*
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
Amit Kumar Dinda
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Ruchika Gupta, 162 Pocket B, Sarita Vihar, New Delhi 110076, India. E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Background:

Rhinosporidiosis is a granulomatous infection usually affecting the nasal mucosa and conjunctiva. The disease is widely prevalent in India and Sri Lanka. Tracheo-bronchial involvement is extremely rare and is potentially life threatening. Diagnosis of tracheal involvement is a challenge due to the risk of bleeding during attempted bronchoscopic biopsy.

Case:

A 73-year-old man was admitted with severe respiratory distress, for which emergency tracheostomy was performed. At tracheostomy, a fleshy mass was seen emerging from the wound. Pathological examination of the mass confirmed rhinosporidiosis involving the trachea. Complete excision of the mass was performed after initial stabilisation of the patient.

Conclusion:

Tracheo-bronchial rhinosporidiosis, a rare complication of nasopharyngeal infection, should be considered in a known case presenting with severe respiratory distress.

Type
Online Only Clinical Record
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Thomas, T, Gopinath, N, Betts, RH. Rhinosporidiosis of the bronchus. Br J Surg 1956;44:316–19CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2 Rekha, P, Thomas, B, Pappachan, JM, Venugopal, KP, Jayakumar, TK, Sukumaran, P. Tracheal rhinosporidiosis. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2006;132:718–19CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3 Fredricks, DN, Jolley, JA, Lepp, PW, Kosek, JC, Relman, DA. Rhinosporidium seeberi: a human pathogen from a novel group of aquatic protistan parasites. Emerg Infect Dis 2000;6:273–82CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4 Shah, AK, Ingle, MV. Tracheal rhinosporidiosis (a case report). J Postgrad Med 1985;31:210–11Google ScholarPubMed
5 Grewal, GS, Rangam, CM. Rhinosporidiosis of the trachea: an unusual case. J Laryngol Otol 1959;73:849–52CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6 De Wever, W, Vandecaveye, V, Lanciotti, S, Verschakelen, JA. Multidetector CT-generated virtual bronchoscopy: an illustrated review of the potential clinical indications. Eur Respir J 2004;23:776–82CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7 Job, A, Venkateswaran, S, Mathan, M. Medical therapy of rhinosporidiosis with dapsone. J Laryngol Otol 1993;107:809–12CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed