Question: Everyone is talking about the paper from the MAYO clinic. What is it all about?
Answer:The article published in the MAYO proceedings of September 1999 reported that using specialized techniques, fungal growth was found in 96% of patients with chronic sinusitis. Fungal growth was found in 100% of normal healthy volunteers, people without sinusitis. Why is this interesting? Well, the researchers have found evidence that the sinus patients appear to have an abnormal inflammatory reaction to the fungus, while normal subjects do not. These researchers speculate that treating fungus in these patients may improve their symptoms. The discovery that fungus is present in healthy people and in patients with chronic sinusitis was a surprise. The apparent difference in the way these two groups react to fungus provides some hope for new treatments.

There is little convincing published evidence that anti-fungal therapy routinely relieves sinus symptoms. Anecdotal reports do suggest that selected patients show improvement.

Question: What is itraconazole?
Answer: Itraconazole, or Sporonox, is a medication that is used by doctors to treat fungal infection. When doctors suspect fungal cause of sinusitis, they may discuss treatment with a course of Sporonox. The doctor will then order blood tests to check your liver function before treatment, and then several weeks into treatment, to be sure that it is not adversely affecting your liver. If it is, you may have to discontinue this therapy.