Histoplasmosis - chronic pulmonary

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Coccidioidomycosis - chest X-ray

Histoplasmosis - chronic pulmonary

Definition:

Chronic pulmonary histoplasmosis is arespiratory infection caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum.

Alternative Names:
Chronic cavitary histoplasmosis
Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Histoplasma capsulatum is a fungus found in the soil of the central and eastern United States (especially Mississippi and Ohio river valleys), eastern Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America.

text continues below

The infection occurs when a person breaths in the reproducing parts of the fungus, called spores. Those withhealthy immune systemsusually do not have symptoms, or only mild ones. This "acute"infection does not persist.

However, the infection can linger in those with lung problems such as smokers with emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD).This condition is called "chronic" pulmonary histoplasmosis.The symptoms and chest x-ray findings of chronic pulmonary histoplasmosisare similar totuberculosis.

Risk factors for chronic pulmonary histoplasmosis include:

Livingin or traveling to central or eastern United States
Exposure to soil or particles contaminated with droppings of chickens, bats, or blackbirds
Pre-existing COPD
Weakened immune systems such as in people who have AIDS