Histoplasmosis

(noun)

Histoplasmosis is a disease caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. Symptoms of this infection vary greatly, but the disease primarily affects the lungs. Other organs are occassionally affected; this is called disseminated histoplasmosis and can be fatal if left untreated.

Related Terms

Examples of Histoplasmosis in the following topics:

  • Histoplasmosis

    • Histoplasmosis is common among AIDS patients due to their suppressed immune system.
    • Chronic histoplasmosis cases can resemble tuberculosis, and disseminated histoplasmosis affects multiple organ systems and is fatal unless treated.
    • Histoplasmosis may be divided into the following types: primary pulmonary histoplasmosis, progressive disseminated histoplasmosis, primary cutaneous histoplasmosis, and African histoplasmosis.
    • Formal histoplasmosis diagnoses are often confirmed only by culturing the fungus directly.
    • This is a chest X-ray of a patient with acute pulmonary histoplasmosis.

  • Blastomycosis

    • Endemic to portions of North America, blastomycosis causes clinical symptoms similar to histoplasmosis.

  • Defining Microbes

    • In addition, protozoans are known to cause diseases such as malaria, sleeping sickness and toxoplasmosis, while fungi can cause diseases such as ringworm, candidiasis or histoplasmosis.

  • Fungi

    • Histoplasma capsulatum results in the formation of histoplasmosis in humans, dogs and cats.

  • Pericarditis

    • Fungal pericarditis is usually due to histoplasmosis, or in immunocompromised hosts Aspergillus, Candida, and Coccidioides.

  • Fungi as Plant, Animal, and Human Pathogens

    • Histoplasmosis is caused by the dimorphic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum.