Gastrointestinal histoplasmosis with small intestinal perforation: 20-year experience.

Postmortem studies show gastrointestinal tract involvement in as many as 70% of patients affected by disseminated histoplasmosis. Although gastrointestinal involvement is common in disseminated disease, the presentation of small intestinal perforation is exceedingly rare with few reported cases in the literature. Herein we present our institutional case series. The aim of the study is to describe small intestinal perforation in gastrointestinal histoplasmosis with attention to management and outcomes. This is a retrospective single-institution review of patients ≥ 18 years of age treated for small intestinal perforation due to gastrointestinal histoplasmosis. A prospectively maintained institutional database was searched from 2002 to 2022. Data obtained included demographics, comorbidities, treatment course, and outcomes. Five patients with a mean age of 54 years (range 25-72) were identified. Pertinent underlying comorbid conditions included Crohn's disease, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and solid organ transplantation. All patients were on chronic immunosuppressive medication(s) with the most common being tumor necrosis factors alpha inhibitors and corticosteroids. Four had a clinical diagnosis of perforation based on physical examination and imaging. All patients underwent segmental resection(s) of the small intestine and received medical treatment with intravenous amphotericin B and eventual transition to an oral antifungal. No patients experienced complications related to surgery. The limitations of the study include nonrandomized retrospective review, single-institution experience, and small patient sample size. Although rare, histoplasmosis should be considered in the differential of patients on chronic immunosuppressive therapy who present with gastrointestinal symptoms concerning perforation, especially from endemic areas. Small intestinal perforation due to gastrointestinal histoplasmosis can be successfully treated with resection and antifungal therapy.

Disseminated histoplasmosis mimicking an acute appendicitis

@#Introduction: Histoplasmosis can present in a myriad of clinical manifestations, which often makes its diagnosis difficult and occasionally, deceptive. Case Report: We describe a case of a 33 years old gentleman who was clinically diagnosed as acute appendicitis at initial presentation in view of a one-week history of fever, right lower quadrant abdominal pain- and guarding at right iliac fossa. He had thrombocytopenia and lymphopenia on presentation. Mesenteric lymphadenitis and small bowel lesion were found intraoperatively, which was respectively biopsied and resected. Histopathological result confirms disseminated histoplasmosis. Retroviral screen was positive. He was treated with amphotericin B for one week, subsequently switched to oral itraconazole, followed by initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Discussion: This case illustrates the various nature of histoplasmosis presentation. A high index of suspicion is needed to clinch the diagnosis and subsequently institute prompt treatment as disseminated disease can be fatal if left untreated in an immunosuppressed host.

Úlceras gastroduodenais como manifestação clínica de histoplasmose disseminada em paciente com vírus da imunodeficiência humana positivo: relato de caso / Progressive disseminated histoplasmosis presenting as gastroduodenal ulcers in a human immunodeficiency virus patient: case report

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: A histoplasmose é uma doença fúngica causada pelo Histoplasma capsulatum. É rara em imunocompetentes;no entanto, em pacientes imunossuprimidos, a infecção ocorre de forma disseminada e grave, podendo acometer vários órgãos, incluindo o trato gastrintestinal. O objetivo deste estudo foi relatar o caso de uma apresentação incomum de infecção pelo H. capsulatum, alertando os clínicos quanto à inclusão da histoplasmose no diagnóstico diferencial de úlceras gastrintestinais, principalmente no paciente imunocomprometido. RELATO DO CASO: Paciente do sexo masculino, 45 anos,portador de síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida (SIDA),com perda de peso, febre, sudorese noturna, adenomegalias cervicais e sangramento gastrintestinal. A radiografia de tórax mostrou infiltrado intersticial bilateral difuso, e a tomografia computadorizada (TC) de abdômen mostrou hepatomegalia e adenomegalias intra-abdominais. Na endoscopia digestiva alta foram encontradas úlceras no estômago e duodeno. O exame anatomopatológico das lesões foi compatível com histoplasmose do trato gastrintestinal. CONCLUSÃO: É de extrema importância o diagnóstico diferencial de úlceras gastrintestinais, principalmente em pacientes imunossuprimidos, uma vez que diversas doenças que assim se manifestam se não tratadas adequadamente, têm evolução fatal.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Histoplasmosis is afungal disease caused by Histoplasma capsulatum. It rarely occurs in immunocompetent individuals; however, in immunocompromised patients, the infection is usually severe and disseminated. Many organs can be affected, including the gastrointestinal tract.The objective of this study is to report an uncommon presentation of histoplasmosis, showing that the differential diagnosis of gastrointestinal ulcers is of great importance, particularly in the immunocompromised patient. CASE REPORT: Male patient, 45-year-old, immunodeficiency virus human-positive, was admitted to the hospital presenting with weight loss, night sweats, fever, cervical adenomegalies and gastrointestinal bleeding. Chest radiography showed diffuse interstitial pulmonary infiltrates bilaterally; computerized tomography of the abdomen showed hepatomegaly and intraabdominal adenomegalies. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed gastric and duodenal ulcers. The pathologic examination of the ulcerswas consistent with gastrointestinal histoplasmosis. CONCLUSION: Reassures the need for the differential diagnosis of gastrointestinal ulcers, particularly in immunosuppressed patients, since many diseases that present this way, have fatal outcomeif not treated properly.

Histoplasmosis colónica como manifestación diagnóstica de Sida / Colonic histoplasmosis as a diagnostic manifestation of AIDS

Se reporta caso de paciente mujer de 48 años, sin antecedentes importantes (niega transfusión de sangre), con cuatro meses con diarrea y pérdida ponderal de 8 kg. Presenta episodio de hematoquezia y anemia aguda que requirió transfusión. Se realizó colonoscopía intrahemorrágica detectando tres lesiones ulceradas: una a 10 cm del ano, otra en colon transverso distal, otra úlcera de similares características en el transverso proximal. Las biopsias mostraron tejido de granulación de úlcera, abundantes macrófagos con estructuras intracitoplasmáticas consistentes con histoplasmosis. Los exámenes no demostraron tuberculosis, ni parasitosis intestinal. Las pruebas de VIH (ELISA y Western Blot) fueron positivas. El recuento de linfocitos CD4 (78 células) y la histoplasmosis extrapulmonar fueron los criterios que definieron el estadio SIDA. La histoplasmosis extrapulmonar define el estadio IV en pacientes inmunosuprimidos por el VIH. La hemorragia digestiva baja por úlceras colónicas secundarias a Histoplasma es una forma de presentación infrecuente como manifestación diagnóstica de SIDA.

We report the case of 48 year old female patient without a history of significance importance (refuses blood transfusion). She complaint of diarrhea of four months of duration and weight loss of 8 kg. She added episodes of hematochezia and severe anemia requiring transfusion. An Intrahemorrhagic colonoscopy was performed detecting three ulcerated lesions. First at 10 cm from the anus, one in transverse colon distal, another similar ulcer in the proximal transverse The biopsies showed ulcer granulation tissue, abundant macrophages within tracytoplasmic structures consistent with histoplasmosis. Tests showed no tuberculosis or intestinal parasitosis. HIV testing (ELISA and Western Blot) were positive. The CD4 (78 cells) and extrapulmonary histoplasmosis were the criteria defined stage AIDS. The extrapulmonary histoplasmosis defines stage IV in immunosuppressed patients with HIV. Lower gastrointestinal bleeding colonic ulcer secondary to Histoplasma is a rare form presentation as a diagnostic manifestation of AIDS.