Etiology, Clinical Profile and Factors Predicting Disease Recurrence of Rhinosporidiosis in a Tertiary Care Centre in Kanyakumari District.

Rhinosporidiosis is a chronic granulomatous disease caused by Rhinosporidium seeberi, typically involving nasal cavity and nasopharynx. They usually present with epistaxis, nasal obstruction, anosmia, and headache. In India, it is endemic in coastal areas of Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Pondicherry states. This is a descriptive study conducted in department of otorhinolaryngology in a tertiary care centre, Kanyakumari for a period of one year and 3 months from April 2022 to June 2023.This series include 30 subjects with clinically and histopathologically confirmed cases of Rhinosporidiosis. Our aim of this study was to analyse the epidemiological parameters, clinical features and factors predicting disease recurrence of rhinosporidiosis. A total of 30 cases were treated over a period of one year and 3 months from April 2022 to March 2023. In our study the most common age group was between 36 and 45 years (30%) followed by age group between 26 and 35(20%). Out of 30 patients 26 patients had history of bathing in pond (86%). Recurrence was seen in 6 patients (20%) over a follow up period of one year. Rhinosporidiosis is endemic and possess a great health care burden in Kanyakumari district. The socioeconomic status, outdoor bathing and lack of awareness in rural areas are the major factors contributing to the disease burden Early detection, treatment, regular follow up, and public health education curtail the incidence of rhinosporidiosis.