Primary fungal infections of the paranasal sinuses.

There has been an increase in the number of primary and secondary fungal infections of the paranasal sinuses in recent years. Aspergillosis and mucormycosis are the most common fungal infections involving the paranasal sinuses. In the past, fungal infections usually occurred in patients with uncontrolled metabolic diseases or compromised defense mechanisms as an acute, rapidly progressing process, often leading to the patient's demise. Primary fungal infections may also be aggressive in otherwise healthy individuals. Physicians should be aware of these microorganisms in order to establish an early diagnosis by biopsy and to institute prompt surgical debridement and medical therapy.