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Item Detection of (1,3)-β-d-Glucan in Cerebrospinal Fluid in Histoplasma Meningitis(American Society for Microbiology, 2018-09-25) Myint, Thein; Chow, Felicia C.; Bloch, Karen C.; Raymond-Guillen, Luke; Davis, Thomas E.; Wright, Patty W.; Woc-Colburn, Laila; Khairy, Raed N.; Street, Alan C.; Yamamoto, Tomotaka; Albers, Amanda; Wheat, L. Joseph; Hage, Chadi A.; Medicine, School of MedicineThe diagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) histoplasmosis is often difficult. Although cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (1,3)-β-d-glucan (BDG) is available as a biological marker for the diagnosis of fungal meningitis, there are limited data on its use for the diagnosis of Histoplasma meningitis. We evaluated CSF BDG detection, using the Fungitell assay, in patients with CNS histoplasmosis and controls. A total of 47 cases and 153 controls were identified. The control group included 13 patients with a CNS fungal infection other than histoplasmosis. Forty-nine percent of patients with CNS histoplasmosis and 43.8% of controls were immunocompromised. The median CSF BDG level was 85 pg/ml for cases, compared to <31 pg/ml for all controls (P < 0.05) and 82 pg/ml for controls with other causes of fungal meningitis (P = 0.27). The sensitivity for detection of BDG in CSF was 53.2%, whereas the specificity was 86.9% versus all controls and 46% versus other CNS fungal infections. CSF BDG levels of ≥80 pg/ml are neither sensitive nor specific to support a diagnosis of Histoplasma meningitis.Item Histoplasmosis in Solid Organ Transplantation(MDPI, 2024-02-02) Barros, Nicolas; Wheat, L. Joseph; Medicine, School of MedicineHistoplasma capsulatum, the etiological agent for histoplasmosis, is a dimorphic fungus that grows as a mold in the environment and as a yeast in human tissues. It has a broad global distribution with shifting epidemiology during recent decades. While in immunocompetent individuals infection is usually self-resolving, solid organ transplant recipients are at increased risk of symptomatic disease with dissemination to extrapulmonary tissue. Diagnosis of histoplasmosis relies on direct observation of the pathogen (histopathology, cytopathology, and culture) or detection of antigens, antibodies, or nucleic acids. All transplant recipients with histoplasmosis warrant therapy, though the agent of choice and duration of therapy depends on the severity of disease. In the present article, we describe the pathogenesis, epidemiology, clinical manifestations and management of histoplasmosis in solid organ transplant recipients.Item Isolation and direct identification of Histoplasma capsulatum from blood(1996) Fuller, DeAnna D.Item Nearly Fatal Case of Whipple's Disease in a Patient Mistakenly on Anti-TNF Therapy(American College of Gastroenterology, 2013-10) Klochan, Christen; Anderson, Teresa A.; Rose, Dusten; Dimitrov, Rosen K.; Johnson, Raymond M.; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, IU School of MedicineWhipple's disease is a rare cause of chronic diarrhea and abdominal pain that may be confused with inflammatory bowel disease. We report a Whipple's case misdiagnosed as Crohn's disease in which treatment with anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy led to nearly fatal progression. Lymph node tissue obtained during laparotomy for suspected bowel necrosis stained dramatically with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS), and electron microscopy showed a bacterium consistent with Trophyrema whipplei. The patient made a remarkable recovery complicated only by cholestatic hepatitis, which was likely a treatment-associated inflammatory response. This case serves as a reminder that all granulomatous infections should be considered prior to initiation of anti-TNF therapies.Item An unusual presentation of cutaneous histoplasmosis as a recurrent solitary and spontaneously healing lesion in an immunocompetent patient(Microbiology Society, 2020) Muldoon, Jessica L.; Wysozan, Timothy R.; Toubin, Yulianna; Relich, Ryan F.; Davis, Thomas E.; Zhang, Chen; Alomari, Ahmed K.; Dermatology, School of MedicineInfection with Histoplasma capsulatum typically manifests as a self-limiting pulmonary disease in immunocompetent patients. Systemic symptoms such as cutaneous lesions are associated with immunodeficient states. Our patient was an immunocompetent 68-year-old male who presented with a plaque on his left infraorbital area that was concerning for malignancy. Histological examination of the lesion revealed granulomatous inflammation and small yeast forms suggestive of H. capsulatum. The lesion resolved spontaneously and recurred 1 year later. On recurrence, histological examination again revealed yeast forms consistent with H. capsulatum. Serum and urine testing for H. capsulatum antigen were negative. Next-generation sequencing detected H. capsulatum, which supported the diagnosis of a cutaneous infection. The patient was prescribed and started treatment with itraconazole for 1 year after recurrence of the lesion, and he has not reported further disease recurrence to date. This case is unique because of the presentation of a primary cutaneous recurrent H. capsulatum lesion, and it demonstrated the utility of laboratory testing in its diagnosis.