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Infections of the Ears, Nose, Throat, and Sinuses pp 189–203Cite as

Nasal Infections

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Abstract

The nose may be infected by viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites. The most common nasal infections are viral, self-limited, and occur as part of the common cold. Acute bacterial infections are usually due to Staphylococcus aureus, a colonizer of the nares and nasal skin, and include cellulitis, vestibulitis, and septal abscess. All acute nasal bacterial infections require prompt treatment to prevent the rare but life-threatening complication of septic cavernous sinus thrombosis. Uncommon intranasal infections include tuberculosis, leprosy, syphilis, ozena, rhinoscleroma, histoplasmosis, blastomycosis, conidiobolomycosis, leishmaniasis, and rhinosporidiosis. Many of these infections are chronic or have a long latency prior to clinical manifestation. Therefore, a patient may present to an otolaryngologist practicing in a non-endemic region with a rare nasal infection acquired months or years earlier in an endemic region. This chapter reviews the etiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of bacterial, fungal, and parasitic nasal infections.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Marlene L. Durand

  2. Infectious Disease Service, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Marlene L. Durand

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  1. Marlene L. Durand
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Correspondence to Marlene L. Durand .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Marlene L. Durand

  2. Department of Otolaryngology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Daniel G. Deschler

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Durand, M.L. (2018). Nasal Infections. In: Durand, M., Deschler, D. (eds) Infections of the Ears, Nose, Throat, and Sinuses. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74835-1_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74835-1_16

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