title: Microbiology of rhinosinusitis in immunosupressed patients from the University Hospital.
abstract: Immunosuppressed patients are often susceptible to upper airway infections, especially those of the paranasal sinuses. These can sometimes jeopardize treatment success and even lead to a fatal outcome.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the paranasal microbiology of immunosuppressed patients with clinical evidence of rhinosinusitis, and compare it with that from immunocompetent patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study, in which 42 immunosuppressed and 16 immunocompetent patients were selected. All had clinically evident acute or recurrent rhinosinusitis and were submitted to ethmoidal or sphenoid sinusectomy or maxillary sinus puncture to gather material for microbiological cultures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 92% positive cultures, and 21% were negative. Of the positive cultures, 38% were bacterial, with P. aeruginosa being the most frequent agent; 64% were fungal, which occurred in the most immunocompromised patients. In the immunocompetent group, there were 62. 5% positive cultures and 37. 5% negative ones. All the positive ones were bacterial, with no fungi.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Transplant recipients were prone to develop bacterial rhinosinusitis by Gram positive and Gram negative agents, the most common of the latter being Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Fungal infections occurred in the severely immunosuppressed, and it was absent in immunocompetent patients.
authors.affiliation: Medical specialist in otorhinolaryngology, master's degree and doctoral degree in otorhinolaryngology, Medical Science School (Ciências Médicas - FCM), UNICAMP. Collaborating otorhinolaryngologist at the Rhinology Unit, Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery Discipline, UNICAMP. Graduate course at the FCM-UNICAMP. Electronic address: erica.ortz@terra.com.br.
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ortiz
authors.affiliation: Graduate student, Otorhinolaryngology Discipline, FCM-UNICAMP. Medical otorhinolaryngologist.
authors.forename: Ronny Tah
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Yen Ng
authors.affiliation: Resident, Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery Discipline, FCM-UNICAMP.
authors.forename: Fernando Canola
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Alliegro
authors.affiliation: Medical otorhinolaryngologist and past resident of the Otorhinolaryngology Discipline, UNICAMP.
authors.forename: Cristiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: Resident, Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery Discipline, UNICAMP.
authors.forename: Eder Barbosa
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Muranaka
authors.affiliation: Assistant professor, Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery Discipline, UNICAMP. Faculty member, Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery Discipline, UNICAMP.
authors.forename: Eulalia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sakano
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005658:Fungi / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007121:Immunocompetence; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*