2.2 Allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS) in children.
AFRS is also present in the paediatric age group and it should be
considered as a differential in children presenting with nasal polyposis
along with the other causes like ciliary dysmotility disorders and
cystic fibrosis(70). There is paucity of data in
literature regarding nature, clinical course and its recurrence in
children and it was not possible to perform a qualitative analysis.
Patro et al.(71) in a single centre prospective study
compared features of AFRS in children to adults. The authors concluded
that AFRS was more aggressive in children with increased fungal load
when compared to adults. The serum IgE levels were also found to be
significantly higher in paediatric group, suggesting a higher fungal
load, with increased sensitivity to fungal antigen in children.
Typically, AFRS in children was less responsive to treatment, with
increased recurrence rates.