Central Nervous System Infection with Histoplasma capsulatum

Abstract

Histoplasmosis is an endemic fungal infection that may affect both immune compromised and non-immune compromised individuals. It is now recognized that the geographic range of this organism is larger than previously understood, placing more people at risk. Infection with Histoplasma capsulatum may occur after inhalation of conidia that are aerosolized from the filamentous form of the organism in the environment. Clinical syndromes typically associated with histoplasmosis include acute or chronic pneumonia, chronic cavitary pulmonary infection, or mediastinal fibrosis or lymphadenitis. Disseminated infection can also occur, in which multiple organ systems are affected. In up to 10% of cases, infection of the central nervous system (CNS) with histoplasmosis may occur with or without disseminated infection. In this review, we discuss challenges related to the diagnosis of CNS histoplasmosis and appropriate treatment strategies that can lead to successful outcomes.