Introduction: Concha bullosa is the most common variation of the middle turbinate of the paranasal sinuses. When it causes nasal obstruction, osteomeatal unit dysfunction, or rarely chronic infection, surgery is required. Case Report: We present a fungal infection of concha bullosa, which is a rare indication for surgery of the concha bullosa. A 59-year-old female patient presented with hemifacial pain on the right side, which had lasted for 2 months. There were no pathological findings in her endoscopic nasal examination. Advanced examination by paranasal computed tomography (CT) revealed bilateral concha bullosa variation and soft tissue density in the right concha bullosa. As the biopsy taken from concha bullosa demonstrated fungal hyphae, endoscopic surgical treatment was performed. Conclusion: We stress the importance of the CT in hemifacial pain by this rare case report, in which endoscopic nasal examination was normal. Fungal infection in the concha bullosa is rare, and infected concha bullosa is a pathology to be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients with complaints of hemicranial headache.

mucormycosis or black fungus is usually a rare but life-threatening infection resulting from commonly distributed fungi belonging to the Mucorale orders. The disease was previously known as zygomycosis, since Rhizopus species, such as Rhizopus arrhizus, Rhizopus microsporus, and Rhizopus oryza were more isolated from infected patients than Mucor (Chegini et al., 2020, Spellberg, 2017)....

The beneficial root endophytes play a crucial impact in improving plant performance, and participate in enhancing phytoremediation efficiency of host in metal-polluted sites. This experiment investigated the influence of root endophyte fungus Serendipita indica on lead (Pb) accumulation and translocation, some physiological attributes, and antioxidant system of leaf in Carthamus tinctorius L. (safflower) cv. Sina in soil contaminated with different levels Pb (0, 400, 800 and 1200 mg Pb/kg soil). By increasing Pb levels in soil, Pb uptake by root, and Pb accumulation in root and shoot were significantly elevated. A significant increase on Pb accumulation in root and a significant reduction on shoot Pb amount were observed under fungal symbiosis. Also, S. indica-inoculated plants had lower translocation factor (TF) and bioaccumulation factor of Pb in shoot (BFS), whereas higher bioaccumulation factor of Pb in root (BFR), in compare to non-inoculated ones. Presence of S. indica yielded in greater growth parameters, photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and antioxidant enzymes activities of CAT, APX and SOD, under all levels Pb in soil. We suggest the consideration of this endophyte for fungus-assisted phyto-stabilization/immobilization of Pb in host roots. Also, we concluded that S. indica mediated different tolerance strategies to mitigate Pb toxicity and higher performance of safflower.

Specimens of a stinkhorn fungus were collected from northern forests of Iran and transported to the laboratory for identification. The macroscopic characteristics of the samples were examined visually and microscopically using an Olympus BH2 microscope (Olympus, Japan).The macroscopic and microscopic features of the specimens were as follows: Immature fruit body globose to sub-globose, egg-shaped, 10-22 mm broad, pale gray to grayish-brown, partially submerged in the substrate; with whitish rhizomorphs attached to the base of the fruit body. Peridium white to whitish gray or pale gray, thin, smooth, opening irregularly when the fruit body matures.Mature fruit body 30-85 mm high, forming a stipe with tapering, three arm-like bodies that join at their tips. Stipe about 10-20 mm high and 10-15 mm thick, whitish to pale orange, hollow, spongy.Arms 15-40 mm high and 5-15 mm thick; lanceolate, tapering to apex; spongy; hollow; bright orange, orange to reddish orange, with convex inner sides and flattened or concave outer sides. The upper two-thirds of the inner side is covered with dark brown to black spore slime, gleba, when fresh. Gleba olive-green to dark green and slimy. Volva sac-like, white to whitish gray, rugose and tough. Hyphae of the volva smooth; hyaline 2.5-10 µm wide. Clamp connections were not present.Basidiospores 1.5–2.8 × 4.5–5.6 µm, ellipsoid, smooth, hyaline. Basidia in an unusual way with 6-8 spores.Specimens were identified as Pseudocolus fusiformis (E. Fisch.) Lloyd (Phallomycetidae, Phallales, Phallaceae) based on Calonge (1998), Miller and Miller (1988), and Coker and Couch (1974). This is the first report of a species from the genus Pseudocolus Lloyd in Iran.

In the framework of collecting and identifying macroscopic fungi of Iran, samples of a coral mushroom were collected and identified as Ramariopsis pulchella (Boud.) Corner (Agaricales, Clavariaceae) based on literature. This is the first report of species from Iran. The characteristics of the identified taxon are as follows: The fruit body consists of coral-shaped branches, pale pink to deep purple; coral branches have regular to irregular sub-branches, double to multiple in length and tip; tips of branches and sub-branches may be sharp or rounded; length of the fruit body is up to 5 cm and the number of branches that determines the width and range of the fruit body is variable; spores spherical to semi-spherical with dimensions of 2.5–3.5 × 3.5–5 µm. Specimen examined: IRAN: Mazandaran Province, Pol-e Sefid, Anarom, saprophyte on soil on the debris of plants and leaves, 6.7.2023, Asef, M.R. (IRAN 18308 F).