Histoplasmosis

Histoplasmosis
Histoplasma capsulatum. Methenamine silver stain showing histopathologic changes in histoplasmosis.
ICD-10	B39
ICD-9	115
DiseasesDB	5925
MedlinePlus	001082
MeSH	D006660

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Synonyms and keywords: Ajellomyces capsulatus; Darling disease; Darling's disease

Symptoms

If symptoms of histoplasmosis infection occur, they will start within 3 to 17 days after exposure; the average is 12-14 days. Most affected individuals have clinically-silent manifestations and show no apparent ill effects.The acute phase of histoplasmosis is characterized by non-specific respiratory symptoms, often cough or flu-like. Chest X-ray findings are normal in 40-70% of cases. Chronic histoplasmosis cases can resemble tuberculosis; disseminated histoplasmosis affects multiple organ systems and is fatal unless treated.

While histoplasmosis is the most common cause of fibrosing mediastinitis, this remains a relatively rare disease. Severe infections can cause hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, and adrenal enlargement. Lesions have a tendency to calcify as they heal.

Ocular histoplasmosis damages the retina of the eyes. Scar tissue is left on the retina which can experience leakage, resulting in a loss of vision not unlike macular degeneration.

References

Note: The original version of this article is adapted from the U.S. CDC public domain document at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/histoplasmosis_g.htm

External links

• Histoplasmosis Resource Guide from the National Eye Institute (NEI).
• NIOSH - Histoplasmosis - Protecting Workers at Risk
• Fibrosing Mediastinitis

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