What Researchers Did
Doctors reviewed the records of 13 patients treated for a fast-moving fungal sinus infection called acute invasive fungal rhinosinusitis between 2013 and 2024.
What They Found
This retrospective cohort study of 13 patients found an overall mortality rate of 53.8%, with 38.5% of deaths directly caused by the infection. Most patients had diabetes or a blood cancer as an underlying condition, and the most common fungal causes were Aspergillus and Mucorales species (six cases each). Orbital invasion occurred in 10 patients and spread to the cavernous sinus in five. Four patients had surgical removal of the eye (orbital exenteration) and survived, and three patients received hyperbaric oxygen therapy alongside their other treatment, with no deaths reported among that group.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
This was a small, retrospective study of only 13 patients with no comparison group, so it cannot show whether hyperbaric oxygen therapy or any single treatment affected survival.