I wanted to take an insert from my The Risk Factors Behind Chronic Sinusitis about Allergic Fungal Sinusitis (AFS) and discuss it briefly. There are four different types of Fungal Sinusitis: Mycetoma Fungal, Chronic Indolent, Fulminant, and Allergic Fungal. Some patients may experience a case of AFS again in their lifetime this experience, however is not uncommon.
“A special subset of allergic rhinitis is Allergic Fungal Sinusitis (AFS). Though it shares many of the same traits as allergic rhinitis there are some distinct differences. One of the most significant is that most patients do not have a positive skin test to molds which are ubiquitous to the environment. However, like other allergens AFS causing inflammatory damage to the mucosal lining of the sinuses and causes secondary bacterial infections. In a recent article from the American Journal of Rhinology and Allergy, it describes that “symptoms of patient with Allergic Fungal Sinusitis can range from mild to severe and depending on the severity of the disease will dictate the appropriate way to manage the disease.
