title: Fluconazole therapy for histoplasmosis. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Mycoses Study Group.
abstract: We assessed the efficacy of oral fluconazole (200-800 mg daily) in the treatment of non-life-threatening acute pulmonary histoplasmosis, chronic pulmonary histoplasmosis, or disseminated histoplasmosis in patients without human immunodeficiency virus infection. Of 27 evaluable patients, two had progressive acute pulmonary histoplasmosis, 11 had chronic pulmonary histoplasmosis, and 14 had disseminated histoplasmosis. Median durations of treatment in each of the three groups were 6 months, 7 months, and 11 months, respectively. Nineteen patients were treated with 400 mg of fluconazole daily (two of these patients received 800 mg daily for a portion of their treatment courses), seven were treated with 200 mg daily, and one was treated with 800 mg daily. Treatment was successful in 17 (63%) of 27 cases. Both of the patients with acute pulmonary infection responded to therapy, as did five (46%) of 11 patients with chronic pulmonary infection and 10 (71%) of 14 patients with disseminated infection. No substantial toxicity was observed. We conclude that fluconazole therapy for histoplasmosis is only moderately effective and should be reserved for patients who cannot take itraconazole.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Associates of Kansas City, Missouri, USA.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: McKinsey
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Kauffman
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Pappas
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Cloud
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Girard
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Sharkey
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Hamill
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Dismukes
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D015725:Fluconazole / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006660:Histoplasmosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015725:Fluconazole