Childhood histoplasmosis in Colombia: Clinical and laboratory observations of 45 patients.
Histoplasmosis is an important mycosis in the Americas; and in children with no immune system abnormalities, histoplasmosis is typically a self-limited process. In contrast, in children with immune problems, disease manifestations are frequently more severe and include dissemination. From 1984 to 2010, a retrospective study of paediatric patients who had been diagnosed with histoplasmosis was performed. A total of 45 pediatric cases of histoplasmosis were identified. The most important risk factor was malnutrition (37%), followed by environmental exposure (33%). The patients exhibited pulmonary infiltrates (83%), fever (76%), cough, constitutional symptoms (38%), headache (35%), and lymph node hypertrophy (33%). Concerning the clinical forms, 64% of the patients presented with the progressive disseminated form that frequently affected the central nervous system (48%). Diagnostic laboratory tests indicated that the cultures were positive for 80% of the patients, the agar gel immunodiffusion was reactive in 95%, the M band of the precipitate was more commonly observed (81%), and the complement fixation tests were reactive in 88% of the patients. The timely diagnosis of histoplasmosis is important, and for this reason, it is hoped that the results of this study will lead pediatricians toward a better understanding of this mycosis in children.
Medical and Experimental Mycology Group, Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB), Medellín, Colombia.
Luisa F
LF
López
Medical and Experimental Mycology Group, Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB), Medellín, Colombia.
Yorlady
Y
Valencia
Medical and Experimental Mycology Group, Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB), Medellín, Colombia Hospital La María, Medellín, Colombia.
Ángela M
ÁM
Tobón
Departamento de Pediatría, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.
Oscar
O
Velásquez
Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín, Colombia.
Cristian D
CD
Santa
Medical and Experimental Mycology Group, Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB), Medellín, Colombia.
Diego H
DH
Cáceres
Medical and Experimental Mycology Group, Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB), Medellín, Colombia.
Ángela
Á
Restrepo
Medical and Experimental Mycology Group, Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB), Medellín, Colombia Escuela de Microbiología, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia lula.cano@hotmail.com.
Luz E
LE
Cano
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006660:Histoplasmosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
Children; Diagnosis; Histoplasmosis