Mycetoma of the maxillary sinus: endodontic and microbiological correlations.

Objective. The purpose was to show the capacity of zinc oxide and eugenol to affect the growth of Aspergillus fumigatus. Study design. An in vitro microbiological analysis was conducted on samples from infected maxillary sinuses and on 3 different endodontic sealers. Results. Testsshowed that zinc oxide in solution favors the growth of Aspergillus fumigatus, while eugenol inhibits this growth, even when mixed with zinc oxide powder. This inhibiting effect decreases over time. A reduced effectiveness was demonstrated over a 75-day period. Conclusions. The hypothesis is that the diminishing concentration of eugenol over time in endodontic sealers allows the zinc oxide to support growth of Aspergillus fumigatus. This is reinforced by clinical experience, where mycetoma has developed years after endodontic therapy with excess sealer in the maxillary sinus.