Clinico-Micro-Pathological Profile of Fungal Infections of Ear, Nose and Throat in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Introduction: Fungal infections of the ear, nose and throat (ENT) region have emerged as an important cause of morbidity in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. The clinical spectrum of infections ranges from superficial, localized conditions like otomycosis, oral thrush and allergic fungal rhinosinusitis to aggressive, life-threatening invasive diseases like mucormycosis. Early and accurate diagnosis of ENT fungal infections requires a multidisciplinary approach involving clinical evaluation, proper microbiological identification, and histopathological confirmation. Materials and methods: A prospective observational study done at department of Pathology in collaboration with the department of Microbiology and Department of Otorhinolaryngology (ENT) in a tertiary care hospital from January 2025 to December 2025. Patients attending the outpatient departments with clinically suspected fungal infections involving ear, nose and throat were chosen as study population. Total 68 patients were selected with clinically suspected oropharyngeal candidiasis, fungal otitis externa and paranasal sinusitis. Oropharyngeal swabs from tongue, palate, oral rinses, mycelial matts/discharges from the external auditory canal, and sinonasal tissue and thick mucus secretions swabs from the nasal cavity were collected and sent for microbiological investigation and histopathological examination. Results: 68 patients were included in the study. 42 (61.8%) were males and 26 (38.2%) females, showing a male predominance. Nasal infections were commonest followed by ear and throat respectively. Site specific distribution showed that Aspergillus spp. was commonest in both ear and nose infections while Candida albicans was commonest in infections of oropharynx. The distribution of predisposing factors among ear, nose, and throat cases demonstrates varying patterns across the three groups. Conclusion: It may be concluded that Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus were most common implicated in otomycosis and paranasal sinusitis. HIV positivity and faulty dentures were causative factors in establishing oropharyngeal candidiasis by Candida albicans.