A Case of Nasopharyngeal Rhinosporidiosis

Abstract

Rhinosporidiosis is a chronic granulomatous disease caused by Rhinosporidium seeberi. This disease mainly affects the mucosa of the nose and nasopharynx. It is endemic in southern India and Sri Lanka, but it is extremely rare in Japan.

We report the fourth case of rhinosporidiosis in Japan. A 35-year-old male from Bangladesh visited our outpatient clinic complaining of throat pain which had persisted for a month. A polypoid mass with white dots was found at the eustachian tuber on the right side of the nasopharynx. Biopsy was performed and a diagnosis of rhinosporidiosis was confirmed by pathological examination. The mass was removed under local anesthesia by bipolar cauterization of the base using a rigid nasal endoscope. There was no recurrence during the follow-up period.