Isolated Ileocolonic Histoplasmosis in an HIV-Negative Patient

Excerpt

Histoplasmosis infection typically occurs in HIV-positive patients manifesting as either pulmonary lesions or severe disseminated pattern implicating multiple organs. While gastrointestinal (GI) involvement is identified in over 70% of autopsy cases in disseminated disease, clinical symptoms from GI manifestation is uncommon, reported by only 3–12% of patients [1]. More infrequent is isolated ileocolonic histoplasmosis, described only in case vignettes [2, 3]. However, this atypical presentation may suggest clinical underdiagnosis rather than disease rarity, as symptoms are nonspecific and histoplasmosis may seldom be considered in differential diagnosis, especially outside areas of prevalence and in HIV-negative patients. Nevertheless, accurate diagnosis and timely treatment are necessary to avoid life-threatening dissemination. We present a case of isolated gastrointestinal histoplasmosis in a patient with autoimmune diseases undergoing chronic immunosuppression. …