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Histoplasmosis

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

Ohio River Valley fever

Symptoms:

Symptoms depend on the type of infection:

• Acute asymptomatic pulmonary (lung) histoplasmosis -- no symptoms
• Acute symptomatic pulmonary histoplasmosis:
  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Cough
  • Chest pain when breathing in

• Chronic pulmonary histoplasmosis:
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest pain
  • Excessive sweating
  • Fever - may resemble symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis and include coughing up blood (hemoptysis)
• Disseminated histoplasmosis:
  • Fevers
  • Headache
  • Neck stiffness
  • Skin lesions
  • Mouth sores
• Other histoplasma symptoms:
  • Joint pain
  • Skin nodules (lumps)
  • Rashes

Signs and tests:

The diagnosis of histoplasmosis depends on the suspected location of infection. Tests may include analysis of the organism in sputum, lung tissue, blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), or bone marrow tissue, as well as antigen tests performed on blood, urine, or CSF.

In addition, certain abnormal findings may be seen in tissues, which may support the diagnosis of histoplasmosis.

• Review Date: 9/5/2006
• Reviewed By: D. Scott Smith, M.D., MSc, DTM&H, Chief of Infectious Disease & Geographic Medicine, Kaiser Redwood City, CA & Adjunct Assistant Professor, Stanford University. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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