title: Primary Cutaneous Histoplasmosis Masquerading as Lepromatous Leprosy.
abstract: Histoplasmosis is a genus of dimorphic fungi having various varieties of which the commonest one causing infection isHistoplasma capsulatumknown to cause histoplasmosis. It has a varied disease spectrum ranging from an acute infection to chronic disease especially in lungs, disseminated disease and cutaneous disorder.Histoplasma capsulatumusually causes subclinical infection and serious infections only manifest in immunocompromised patients. Frank cases of infection are seen in pulmonary histoplasmosis. The spores of these organisms are seen to be strongly associated with droppings of birds and bats. A combination of these droppings and some soil types provide for an excellent environment for the proliferation of spores. Pulmonary histoplasmosis and disseminated disease are very common in AIDS patients and are a great cause of morbidity and mortality in these patients. Primary cutaneous histoplasmosis is very rare and occurs due to penetrating injuries. Once diagnosis is made, the lesions respond very well to oral itraconazole, fluconazole or amphotericicn B. We report a rare case of Cutaneous Histoplasmosis (CHP) in a 70-year-old male with complaints of multiple nodules all over his body in a HIV seronegative and otherwise immunocompetent patient.
authors.affiliation: Senior Resident, Department of Pathology, Maulana Azad Medical College , New Delhi, India .
authors.forename: Jenna Blah
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Bhattacharya
authors.affiliation: Senior Resident, Department of Pathology, Maulana Azad Medical College , New Delhi, India .
authors.forename: Poonam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rani
authors.affiliation: Junior Resident, Department of Pathology, Maulana Azad Medical College , New Delhi, India .
authors.forename: Radhika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aggarwal
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, Maulana Azad Medical College , New Delhi, India .
authors.forename: Seema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaushal
keywords: Lepromatous leprosy; Mycotic infection; Nodulo-ulcerative lesions