MAXILLARY SINUSITIS CAUSED BY PLEUROPHOMOPSIS-LIGNICOLA

An immunocompetent 59-year-old mars developed sinusitis over a 6- to 8 -month period after cutting down a rotted maple tree (Acer sp.). A pol ypoid obstruction with a bloody drainage was evident in his right nasa l cavity, A computed tomographic scan showed an opacification of the m axillary sinus, Surgery was performed to remove a fungus bail that had extended into the patient's medial sinus cavity. Sections of the sino nasal mucosa revealed marked acute and chronic sinusitis with inflamma tion, congestion, and hemorrhage. Sections from the pasty brown to bla ck debrided material revealed a fungus ball consisting of an extensive network of brown-pigmented, septate, profusely branched hyphae. When grown an oat agar, the phaeoid fungus produced pycnidia and was identi fied as Pleurophomopsis lignicola. The gentes Pleurophomopsis includes seven species, with are all known from plant material. This report do cuments for the first time a coelomycetous fungus,P. lignicola, causin g sinusitis in an immunocompetent patient.