histoplasmosis

histoplasmosis
/his'toh plaz moh"sis/, n. Pathol.
an infectious disease of the reticuloendothelial system, caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum and characterized by fever, anemia, and emaciation.
[1940-45; < NL, equiv. to Histoplasm(a) name of the genus (see HISTO-, -PLASM) + -osis -OSIS]

* * *

      infection with the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum, occurring in humans and other animals. The disease is contracted by the inhalation of dust containing spores of the fungus. H. capsulatum prefers moist, shady conditions and is found in woods, caves, cellars, silos, and old chicken houses. The last seem to be especially important because chickens (poultry) often are infected and pass enormous numbers of organisms in their droppings. The use of chicken manure in gardens may lead to histoplasmosis in humans. Dogs, rats, mice, bats, pigeons, skunks, and probably many other animals become infected and may help to spread the disease. The chief site of infection is the lungs, though the fungus can spread through the bloodstream to other organs, such as the liver, and bone marrow.

      There are three forms of the disease. The primary acute form involves only the lungs and causes symptoms of fever, coughing, and chest pain. The infection may be slight and is often asymptomatic. In the progressive disseminated form of histoplasmosis, the infection spreads to the liver, spleen, or adrenal glands, where it causes lesions and damages those organs. In the third form, chronic cavitary disease, the infection remains in the lungs but damages them more seriously, causing coughing and severe shortness of breath. All three forms can produce symptoms that are indistinguishable from those caused by other acute respiratory infections such as pneumonia and pneumonitis—i.e., coughing, chest pain, difficulty in breathing, fever, chills, and fatigue. X-ray examination of the lungs may show a localized shadow or a more diffuse mottling of the lungs. In most cases, however, infection with H. capsulatum causes no symptoms or discomfort at all. Diagnosis is made by serological tests or by culture of the organism. Most cases do not require treatment, but patients with widespread disease can be treated with the antibiotic amphotericin B.

      Histoplasmosis is worldwide in distribution and is endemic in parts of the east-central United States and the Mississippi River valley. Infants and men past middle age show the least resistance to symptomatic infection, but 50 to 80 percent of the total population of endemic areas show positive skin tests.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Histoplasmosis — Classification and external resources Histoplasma capsulatum. Methenamine silver stain showing histopathologic changes in histoplasmosis. ICD 10 B …   Wikipedia

  • histoplasmosis — una micosis sistémica producida por Histoplasma capsulatum un hongo dimórfico de distribución mundial, cuyas esporas son muy contagiosas. Por lo común la infección es asintomática o cursa con leves manifestaciones pulmonares [ICD 10: B39]… …   Diccionario médico

  • histoplasmosis — [his΄tōplaz mō′sis] n. [ModL < Histoplasma (capsulatum) < HISTO + PLASMA + OSIS] a condition ranging from a mild infection to a severe disease, caused by a fungus (Histoplasma capsulatum) which may be inhaled or ingested: infections may… …   English World dictionary

  • Histoplasmosis — Se observa la distribución de la histoplasmosis. La histoplasmosis es una micosis sistémica, caracterizada por lesiones necrogranulomatosas, que afecta a carnívoros, equinos y humanos por la infección con una de las tres subespecies del hongo… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Histoplasmosis — A disease caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. Most people with histoplasmosis have no symptoms. However, histoplasma can cause acute or chronic lung disease and progressive disseminated histoplasmosis affecting a number of organs. It can …   Medical dictionary

  • Histoplasmosis — ► sustantivo femenino 1 MEDICINA Enfermedades producidas por diversas especies de hongos del género Histoplasma. IRREG. plural histoplasmosis FRASEOLOGÍA histoplasmosis africana MEDICINA La que se manifiesta por lesiones cutáneas como las… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • histoplasmosis — n. an infection caused by inhaling spores of the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. The primary pulmonary form usually produces no symptoms or harmful effects and is recognized retrospectively by X rays and positive histoplasmin skin testing.… …   The new mediacal dictionary

  • histoplasmosis diseminada — histoplasmosis que en pacientes con inmunodeficiencia celular y cursa con fiebre, hepatosplenomegalia y pancitopenia La forma subaguda se caracteriza además por lesiones focales, como adrenalitis (enfermedad de Addison), endocarditis, meningitis …   Diccionario médico

  • histoplasmosis pulmonar crónica — histoplasmosis en sujetos con enfisema pulmonar, que origina un cuadro clínico y radiológico indistinguible de una tuberculosis (TBC) fibrocavitada crónica de localización apical unilateral o bilateral y de evolución insidiosa con fiebre,… …   Diccionario médico

  • histoplasmosis primaria — Véase histoplasmosis. Diccionario Mosby Medicina, Enfermería y Ciencias de la Salud, Ediciones Hancourt, S.A. 1999 …   Diccionario médico

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”