DISSEMINATED HISTOPLASMOSIS LEADING TO HAEMOPHAGOCYTIC LYMPHOHISTIOCYTOSIS IN AN IMMUNOCOMPETENT PATIENT

Abstract

Background: Emerging fungal infections can pose a serious threat in contemporary healthcare due to host variations, clinical presentation and emerging resistance. Histoplasma capsulatum is a thermally dimorphic fungus, which acts as a Trojan horse by residing inside macrophages. Histoplasmosis is an emerging infection and its association with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) in immunocompetent patients has been scantily reported in the literature. Objective. The aim of the study was to explore disseminated histoplasmosis with the help of case report. Methods: A case report of histoid leprosy is presented. Results: A male patient of 47 yearsof age, under treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for five years and diabetes mellitus Type-II for two years, presented with fever of unknown origin (FUO) with evidence of HLH in the bone marrow. Core biopsy of the liver and spleen showed a dense tissue infiltrate with vacuolated histiocytes containing histoplasma capsulatum, eosinophils, some lymphocytes and plasma cells. Conclusion: Histoid leprosy is a discrete infrequent form of multibacillary leprosy with distinctive clinical, bacteriological and histomorphological features. Histopathologic examination with modified fite stain remains the mainstay of diagnosis.