Fungal Rhinosinusitis Caused by a Curvularia sp. Infection in a Female Sumatran Orangutan: A Case Report

Mycotic nasal cavity and paranasal sinus infections in non-human primates (NHPs) are relatively uncommon diseases of the upper respiratory tract. This case study describes the clinical and pathological features as well as the diagnostic techniques and interventions applied to treat the associated disease. A 23-year-old primiparous female Sumatran orangutan residing at Perth Zoo in Western Australia developed intermittent episodes of right-sided epistaxis. An ulcerative nasal mass was identified from a diagnostic endoscopy. The mass was initially biopsied and showed the morphological characteristics of a dematiaceous fungal organism upon a histological examination. There were prominent mucosal and submucosal granulomatous infiltrates containing histocytes, giant cells, and lymphocytes admixed with fewer numbers of neutrophils and eosinophils surrounding the fungal organism. The organism was identified as Curvularia sp. by the fungal characteristics associated with the histopathology, culture growth, and PCR analysis. The mass was subsequently removed with endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) and the orangutan was medically treated with itraconazole for several months. The recovery was uneventful and the orangutan returned to full health.