An Unusual Cutaneous Tumor: African Histoplasmosis following Mudbaths: Case Report and Review

Sotirios Tsiodras 4th Department of Internal Medicine, “Attikon” University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece; Plastic surgery practice, Rhodes, Greece; Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre of Microbiology, Istituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; 2nd Department of Pathology, “Attikon” University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece

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Miranda Drogari-Apiranthitou 4th Department of Internal Medicine, “Attikon” University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece; Plastic surgery practice, Rhodes, Greece; Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre of Microbiology, Istituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; 2nd Department of Pathology, “Attikon” University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece

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Konstantinos Pilichos 4th Department of Internal Medicine, “Attikon” University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece; Plastic surgery practice, Rhodes, Greece; Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre of Microbiology, Istituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; 2nd Department of Pathology, “Attikon” University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece

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Konstantinos Leventakos 4th Department of Internal Medicine, “Attikon” University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece; Plastic surgery practice, Rhodes, Greece; Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre of Microbiology, Istituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; 2nd Department of Pathology, “Attikon” University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece

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Theodoros Kelesidis 4th Department of Internal Medicine, “Attikon” University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece; Plastic surgery practice, Rhodes, Greece; Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre of Microbiology, Istituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; 2nd Department of Pathology, “Attikon” University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece

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Maria Jose Buitrago 4th Department of Internal Medicine, “Attikon” University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece; Plastic surgery practice, Rhodes, Greece; Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre of Microbiology, Istituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; 2nd Department of Pathology, “Attikon” University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece

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Georgios Petrikkos 4th Department of Internal Medicine, “Attikon” University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece; Plastic surgery practice, Rhodes, Greece; Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre of Microbiology, Istituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; 2nd Department of Pathology, “Attikon” University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece

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Ioannis Panayiotides 4th Department of Internal Medicine, “Attikon” University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece; Plastic surgery practice, Rhodes, Greece; Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre of Microbiology, Istituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; 2nd Department of Pathology, “Attikon” University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.2012.11-0557
Volume/Issue:
Volume 86: Issue 2
Page(s):
261–263
Restricted access
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African histoplasmosis, caused by Histoplasma capsulatum var. duboisii, is endemic in Africa. The disease usually involves the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and bones. A case of African histoplasmosis presenting as a cutaneous tumor and non-healing wound in a 66-year-old immunocompetent male residing in Africa, the first ever reported following mudbaths and acupuncture, is hereby reported. Diagnosis was confirmed by means of polymerase chain reaction performed on tissue material. The patient was started on long-term itraconazole therapy and he responded well. African histoplasmosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of non-healing wounds or tumor-like lesions, especially in the context of mudbaths in an endemic area.

Author Notes

*Address correspondence to Sotirios Tsiodras, 4th Department of Internal Medicine, “Attikon” University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, 1 Rimini Street, GR-12462 Haidari, Athens, Greece. E-mail: tsiodras@med.uoa.gr

Authors’ addresses: Sotirios Tsiodras, Miranda Drogari-Apiranthitou, Konstantinos Leventakos, Theodoros Kelesidis, and Georgios Petrikkos, 4th Department of Internal Medicine, “Attikon” University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece, E-mails: tsiodras@med.uoa.gr, mdrogari@hotmail.com, kostasleventakos@gmail.com, tkelesid@gmail.com, and petrikos@med.uoa.gr. Konstantinos Pilichos, Plastic Surgery Practice, Rhodes, Dodecanese, Greece, E-mail: kpilplast@yahoo.gr. Maria Jose Buitrago Serna, Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre of Microbiology, Istituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain, E-mail: buitrago@isciii.es. Ioannis Panayiotides, 2nd Department of Pathology, ?Attikon? University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece, E-mail: ioagpan@gmail.com.

Copyright:
©The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 2012
Received:
01 Sep 2011
|
Accepted:
21 Oct 2011
|
Published Online:
01 Feb 2012
Cover The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Print ISSN:
0002-9637
Online ISSN:
1476-1645
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