[Pulmonary histoplasmosis in an immunocompetent patient]

Acute pulmonary histoplasmosis (APH) is rare in an immunocompetent patient. We report a case of APH diagnosed by culture of broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) in a patient presenting a pseudo-tumoral form with nodules progressing to cavitation.

A 41 year-old male smoker was hospitalized with a persistent fever, dry cough and dyspnoea on exertion. The first CT scan showed a reticulo-nodular interstitial infiltrate with lymphadenopathy that progressed rapidly to multiple pulmonary nodules with central cavitation. Bronchial endoscopy, with BAL culture, provided the diagnosis of Histoplasma capsulatum, variety capsulatum. The infection may have occurred during work in a hangar in Guadeloupe that was scattered with bats' guano. After two months of treatment by itraconazole, the patient's condition improved clinically and radiologically with reduction of the nodules and their cavitation.

This case presents an immunocompetent patient with pulmonary histoplasmosis and multiple, radiologically atypical, nodules. The diagnosis was established by BAL culture.