Disseminated histoplasmosis presenting with cutaneous lesions in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

Objective Presentation of a case of disseminated histoplasmosis, observed in a non-endemic area, in which cutaneous lesions and fever were the dominant clinical signs of the infection. Case A 54-year-old homosexual man with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) related Kaposi's sarcoma presented with cutaneous lesions and fiver due to disseminated histoplasmosis. The patient was successfully treated with itraconazole 200 mg/day. He died after 8 months from AIDS dementia complex: disseminated histoplasmosis relapse was not observed. Conclusion The case shows that infection with Histoplasma capsulatum must be considered by dermatologists in HIV/AIDS patients, even in nan-endemic areas. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.