Spinal African histoplasmosis simulating tuberculous spondylitis

Spinal histoplasmosis is a rare disease condition that must be differentiated from other common inflammatory lesions of the spine such as tuberculosis. A case is presented of a pathologically proven African spinal hisptoplasmosis in a 39-year-old female. Paraplegia and fever were the patient's clinical findings. Cervical plain radiography demonstrated a lytic destructive process of the lower cervical spine with radiographic signs similar to tuberculosis. The surgical management and chemotherapy of histoplasmosis are briefly discussed.