title: Cutaneous Manifestation of Underlying Disseminated Histoplasmosis in an Immunocompetent Host of Nonendemic Area with Reversible CD4 Cell Depletion and its Recovery on Antifungal Therapy.
abstract: We present the case of an 18-year-old male patient admitted with complaints of fever and rapid weight loss since 3 months. Patient had multiple umbilicated papular to nodular lesions over chin and forehead region. Complete blood count revealed bicytopenia. An excisional biopsy of the skin lesions had revealed cutaneous histoplasmosis. On further investigations for bicytopenia, histoplasmosis had been diagnosed on bone marrow trephine biopsy. For the immune status, patient's serology against HIV was negative and his CD4 lymphocyte counts were low at 161. Patient received antifungal therapy including amphotericin B and itraconazole. He showed remarkable improvement in his general condition and blood counts. A repeat CD4 count showed normal counts, and idiopathic CD4 lymphocytopenia was excluded. Disseminated histoplasmosis presenting as cutaneous lesions in an immunocompetent host is very rare, and we are not aware of any case report in the literature where there is reversible depletion of CD4 counts following antifungal treatment in an immunocompetent host of nonendemic area.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College and Lok Nayak Hospital, New Delhi, 110002, India, praveen_bhartid@yahoo.co.in.
authors.forename: Praveen
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bharti
authors.forename: Kiran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bala
authors.forename: Naresh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006660:Histoplasmosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D017964:Itraconazole / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion; D008297:Male; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D017964:Itraconazole; D000666:Amphotericin B