title: [Five cases of invasive rhino-orbital-skull base aspergillosis with orbit apex syndrome initial presentation].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although rare, invasive rhino-orbital-skull base aspergillosis usually is fatal and necessitates prompt diagnosis, surgical intervention and antifungal treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case series of 5 patients, with review of treatments and outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five patients initially presented with orbital apex syndrome without apparent rhino-sinus disease. Histologic examination revealed invasive aspergillosis. Four patients underwent transnasal endoscopic surgical exploration of rhino-orbital-skull base, and three of them simultaneously underwent optic nerve decompression. One patient underwent the rhinopharyngeal biopsy. Following surgical debridement and antifungal drug, Two patients achieved various degree of recovery, 1 patient (case 5) showed vision improvement, from counting fingers to 0.1 and symptom-free during 65 months follow-up. One patient (case 1) showed no recovery of vision from no light perception, but symptom-free during 43 months follow-up. Other three patients respectively died of massive intracranial spread (case 3), postoperative brainstem hemorrhage (case 2) and sepsis (case 4).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Invasive sino-orbital-skull base aspergillosis often may resemble inflammatory conditions. Early diagnosis and surgical intervention are required to improve vision and survival. The endoscopic surgical exploration and biopsy often are necessary to rule out fungal sinus infection before considering steroid use, especially in immunocompromised individuals. The patients with invasive rhino-orbital-skull base aspergillosis usually have a poor prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital University of Medical Science, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors.forename: Qiuyi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Xingyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lianghong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Teng
authors.forename: Qiuhang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009915:Orbit / Q000382:microbiology*; D009916:Orbital Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D019291:Skull Base / Q000382:microbiology*