Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis secondary to disseminated histoplasmosis in an immunocompetent patient

Mallory Morton; Vinay Vanguru; Joo-Shik Shin; Amrita Ronnachit

doi:10.1016/j.mmcr.2024.100635

Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis secondary to disseminated histoplasmosis in an immunocompetent patient

Med Mycol Case Rep. 2024 Feb 18:43:100635. doi: 10.1016/j.mmcr.2024.100635. eCollection 2024 Mar.

Authors

Mallory Morton^{1

2}, Vinay Vanguru³, Joo-Shik Shin^{4

5}, Amrita Ronnachit^{1

5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Infectious Diseases, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, 2050, Australia.
² Department of Medicine, Campbelltown Hospital, Campbelltown, NSW, 2560, Australia.
³ Institute of Haematology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, 2050, Australia.
⁴ Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, 2050, Australia.
⁵ Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
⁶ Macfarlane Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.

Abstract

Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis secondary to Histoplasma infection is rare and almost always occurs in immunocompromised hosts. We report a 32-year-old immunocompetent man presenting with a nonspecific febrile illness found to have disseminated histoplasmosis and associated haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. The diagnosis was confirmed on histopathological examination and PCR of liver and bone marrow biopsies. He was successfully treated with steroids, intravenous immunoglobulin and itraconazole.

Keywords: Disseminated histoplasmosis; Haemophagocytosis; Histoplasma capsulatum.

Publication types

Case Reports