Disseminated histoplasmosis due to Histoplasma capsulatum var. duboisii in Senegal. A case in HIV-infected patient

Histoplasmosis, a disease due to Histoplasma capsulatum, is an invasive opportunistic fungal infection, endemic in Africa. So, the occurrence of african histoplasmosis associated with HIV infection has been rarely reported despite the high prevalence of both pathogens in this area. We report the first case of disseminated african histoplasmosis in an HIV-infected Senegalese patient. A patient, 50-year-old has been admitted for umbilicate, necrotic and disseminated papulonodular lesions with oral infection, fever and reduction of total body mass. HIV1 test was positive, and CD4 count was 4/mm(3). Direct examination of ulcerated lesions shown extracellular, large, doubly contoured yeasts. After culture, we obtain brownish colonies, septate hyphae, echinulated chlamydospores characteristic of Histoplasma. Cutaneous biopsy revealed polymorphous granulomatous infiltrate, giant cells containing numerous large, doubly contoured, thick-wall yeast-bodies characteristic of H. capsulatum var. duboisii. The association AIDS and histoplasmosis frequency is probably underestimated because the difficult diagnosis and the ignorance of the medical staff.