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Although rare, trans-kingdom infection features an interesting infection biology concept, in which highly versatile pathogenic attributes allow successful infections in evolutionarily highly divergent species. Corynespora cassiicola is a phytopathogenic fungus and occasionally causes human infections. Herein, we report a phaeohyphomycosis case caused by C. cassiicola. Given that sporadic reports may contribute to a lack of awareness of the transmission route, clinical manifestations, and diagnostic and clinical management, we systematically reviewed the cases reported thus far. Nine patients were identified and included in the pooled analysis, 88.9% (8/9) of whom were reported after 2010. All patients were from Asian, African, and Latin American countries, among whom 77.8% (7/9) were farmers or lived in areas with active agriculture. Exposed body parts were the major affected infection area, and clinical manifestations were mainly non-specific inflammatory reactions. Although biochemical and morphological examinations confirmed the presence of fungal infection, molecular analysis was used for the final diagnosis, with 77.8% (7/9) being identified by internal transcribed spacer sequencing. Whereas voriconazole, terbinafine, and AmB, either alone or in combination, resulted in successful infection resolution in most cases (5/9; 55.5%), those suffering from invasive facial infections and CARD9 deficiency showed poor outcomes. Our patient is the third case of invasive facial infection caused by C. cassiicola and was successfully treated with intravenous LAmB followed by oral voriconazole combined with topical antifungal irrigation. Molecular identification of fungus and prompt antifungal treatment is pivotal in the clinical success of patients suspected to have phaeohyphomycosis. Moreover, as evidenced by our data, itraconazole treatment is not recommended.

Objectives/Hypothesis: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the efficacy of and complications associated with antifungal drugs and traditional antiseptic medication for the treatment of otomycosis.Data Sources: The PubMed, EMBASE, GeenMedical, Cochrane Library, CBM, CNKI, VIP and other databases were searched from January 1991 to January 2021.Methods: The systematic literature review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized studies (case-control, cohort, and case series) were included to assess the topical use of antifungal drugs and traditional antiseptic medication in patients with otomycosis. The research subjects were patients who were clinically diagnosed with otomycosis and whose external auditory canal secretions were positive for fungi. Funnel plots were used to detect bias, and the Q test was used to assess heterogeneity. The random-effects model was used for meta-analysis. The t-test was used to assess significance.Results: Of the 324 non-duplicate studies screened, 16 studies met the criteria for full-text review, and 7 were included in the meta-analysis. Four studies reported recovery conditions (P = 0.01). Six common complications after medication use were compared, and there were no significant differences. The authors further conducted subgroup analysis according to complications. The differences in the rates of ear distension (P = 0.007), earache (P = 0.03) and tinnitus (P = 0.003) were statistically significant.Conclusion: The results of this meta-analysis and literature review showed that antifungal drugs and traditional antiseptic medication were effective in relieving symptoms in patients with otomycosis, and the two treatments were associated with different complications. Otolaryngologists have the option to use one medication or a combination of two drugs on the basis of the condition. Future research in this area should include RCTs with long-term follow-up to guide the development of otomycosis guidelines to overcome some of the weaknesses found in the literature.Systematic Review Registration:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/#myprospero.

Abstract Myxofibrosarcoma is a common sarcoma in the extremities of older people, but is rare in the head and neck region. Here, we report the case of a 42-year-old male patient in whom myxofibrosarcoma generated from the sinus piriformis. Histopathologically, the tumor was characterized by spindle cellular proliferation with moderate cellular density in fibromyxoid stroma. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells showed positive reactivity for vimentin, Ki-67, smooth muscle actin, and CD34, but negative staining for S-100. Based on these results, the tumor was diagnosed as a low-grade myxofibrosarcoma. Resection of the tumor was performed via a transcervical approach. The patient’s postoperative clinical course was uneventful and no local recurrence or distant metastasis has been found so far. The pathology, clinical characteristics, and treatment of myxofibrosarcoma are also reviewed.