title: Amplification of blood smear DNA to confirm disseminated histoplasmosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of the Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum (Hcc) histoplasmosis may be underestimated West Africa, both because the diagnosis is not mentioned in the early stages of the disease and due to limited biological resources available.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report a case of disseminated histoplasmosis due to Hcc in a Senegalese HIV patient. The diagnosis was suspected following the demonstration of small encapsulated yeasts within neutrophils on a thin blood smear. It was further confirmed using a specific real-time PCR applied on a DNA specimen extracted from the thin blood smear.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of Hcc infection diagnosed in Senegal. Blood smear may be a valuable screening tool in the case of bloodstream dissemination and can be used for further molecular approaches to confirm the diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, 5005, Dakar, Sénégal.|Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre Hospitalier National Universitaire de Fann, Dakar, Sénégal.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dieng
authors.affiliation: Service des Maladies Infectieuses, Centre Hospitalier National Universitaire de Fann, Dakar, Sénégal.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Massaly
authors.affiliation: Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, 5005, Dakar, Sénégal.|Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre Hospitalier National Universitaire de Fann, Dakar, Sénégal.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sow
authors.affiliation: Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital St Antoine, 34 rue Crozatier, 75012, Paris, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vellaissamy
authors.affiliation: Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, 5005, Dakar, Sénégal.|Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre Hospitalier National Universitaire de Fann, Dakar, Sénégal.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sylla
authors.affiliation: Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, 5005, Dakar, Sénégal.|Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre Hospitalier National Universitaire de Fann, Dakar, Sénégal.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Tine
authors.affiliation: Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, 5005, Dakar, Sénégal.|Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre Hospitalier National Universitaire de Fann, Dakar, Sénégal.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dieng
authors.affiliation: Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital St Antoine, 34 rue Crozatier, 75012, Paris, France. christophe.hennequin-sat@aphp.fr.|Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM UMR S 1135, CNRS ERL 8255, Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses (CIMI-Paris), 91 Bd de l'hôpital, 75013, Paris, France. christophe.hennequin-sat@aphp.fr.
authors.forename: C
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4528-927X
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hennequin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000032:analysis; D015658:HIV Infections; D006658:Histoplasma / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006660:Histoplasmosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012675:Senegal
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal
keywords: Africa; Blood smear; Diagnosis; HIV infection; Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum; RT-PCR; Senegal