What are the treatment for histoplasmosis?

What are the treatment for histoplasmosis?

Itraconazole (Sporanox, Onmel), fluconazole (Diflucan), and amphotericin B (Ambisome, Amphotec; drug of choice for severe disease) are antifungal drugs that treat histoplasmosis. A person may need to continue treatment for a period of several months.

What is histoplasmosis meningitis?

Histoplasmosis, a systemic mycosis caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum, primarily affects immune-suppressed patients and commonly involves the lung and rarely the central nervous system (CNS). Herein, we report a case of isolated CNS histoplasmosis presenting with pontine stroke and meningitis.

What happens if histoplasmosis affects the brain?

CNS histoplasmosis patients have been reported to present with fever, confusion, headaches, lethargy, weakness, hydrocephalus, and focal neurological deficits reminiscent of a cerebral vascular [11,58].

How is histoplasmosis transmitted and treated?

Overview. Histoplasmosis is an infection caused by breathing in spores of a fungus often found in bird and bat droppings. People usually get it from breathing in these spores when they become airborne during demolition or cleanup projects.

What type of doctor treats histoplasmosis?

You’re likely to start by seeing your primary care provider, who might refer you to a specialist in infectious diseases. Depending on your symptoms and the severity of your infection, you might also see other doctors, such as a lung specialist (pulmonologist) or a heart specialist (cardiologist).

Does fluconazole treat histoplasmosis?

Fluconazole is a broad-spectrum triazole antifungal drug that possesses in vitro activity against Histoplasma capsulatum and has been effective in both immunocompetent and immunosup- pressed murine models of histoplasmosis [9-11] .

Does histoplasmosis cause meningitis?

These studies have demonstrated that the most common clinical features of CNS histoplasmosis consist of chronic meningitis, focal brain, or spinal cord lesions, stroke syndromes, encephalitis, and hydrocephalus. Over one third of cases reported, have occurred in immunocompetent individuals.

Can histoplasmosis cause brain lesions?

Deep brain histoplasmosis infections usually appear as ring-enhancing lesions on CT scan or MRI. These lesions have a broad differential diagnosis, including brain abscesses, toxoplasmosis, and other infectious, inflammatory and neoplastic etiologies that vary in likelihood with the immune status of the patient.

Can histoplasmosis cause meningitis?

Can fungal meningitis be cured?

People will need to take antifungal medication to treat fungal meningitis. In some cases, they may need lifelong treatment to manage the condition. Most people recover without experiencing any long-term effects, though.

What is disseminated histoplasmosis?

Disseminated histoplasmosis is a relentlessly progressive granulomatous disease which can mimic many other granulomatous diseases including tuberculosis. A 48-year-old male was referred to us with 11 months history of multiple subcutaneous swellings and ulcerations over the upper and lower limbs and fever for 2 months.

Does histoplasmosis go away on its own?

For most people, the symptoms of histoplasmosis will go away within a few weeks to a month. However, some people have symptoms that last longer than this, especially if the infection becomes severe.

Is there a blood test for histoplasmosis?

Histoplasmosis is usually diagnosed with a blood test or a urine test.