title: Human nasal rhinosporidiosis: an Italian case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rhinosporidiosis is a disease affecting primarily the mucosa of nose, conjunctiva and urethra. It is endemic in some Asiatic regions, affecting people of any age and sex. Its manifestation is a polypoid mass growing inside the affected cavity and the only treatment is surgical excision. Rhinosporidium seeberi is the aetiological agent. Many discussions arouse regarding the taxonomic classification of the microorganism, recent studies established it is an aquatic protistan parasite. The lesion may recur and sometimes cause osteolytic bone lesions. In endemic areas it is not easy to establish if recurrent lesions are due to relapse or reinfection.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 26-year-old male patient from India, resident in Italy since 2005, presented in March 2006 with a history of nasal obstruction of three months duration. Physical examination showed an erythematous, papillomatous mass, 3 cm in diameter, obstructing the right nasal cavity. A microscopic diagnosis of rhinosporidiosis was made. Few Italian human cases of this disease have been previously reported in the literature.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rhinosporidiosis is a condition which both clinicians and pathologists should keep in mind when managing patients from endemic countries with nasal masses. Moreover, it is very interesting in such cases to follow the clinical course: an eventual recurrence of the lesion in our patient would mean a true relapse, excluding the possibility of a reinfection, more probable in the endemic areas.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pathology, S. Maria del Carmine Hospital, Rovereto, Italy. luca.morelli@apss.tn.it
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Morelli
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Polce
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Piscioli
authors.forename: Franca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Del Nonno
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Covello
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brenna
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cione
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Licci