A case of nasal entomophtoral phycomycosis observed in an arid African region (Somalia)

On the African continent, rhinophycomycosis entomophtorae, a deep mycosis due to Conidiobolus coranatus, has been encountered mainly in wet forest areas. Only one case, which involved a Tchadian, has been reported in a dry zone. The present report describes a case observed in a 30-year-old Somalian, who lived all his life in the rural zone of Dinsoor where the climate is hot (temperature between 22 degrees C and 30 degrees C) and dry (annual rainfall less than 400 mm). In this patient, diagnosis was based on the presence of a characteristic bifocal deformation of the central region of the face and on histological findings typical of rhinophycomycosis entomophtorae. This case underlines the fact that this deep mycosis can occur outside of wet forest areas in Africa. Thus practitioners should not rule this diagnosis out simply on the basis of climatic conditions.