[HIV-associated histoplasmosis with pulmonary manifestation in Europe]

A 35-year-old man developed weight loss, lower abdominal pain, diarrhoea, cough, fever and general deterioration in his health. He had been born and resident in the USA until 1991, when he moved to Germany. Since 1991 he had known that he was HIV-positive. The chest radiograph showed bilateral diffuse spotty marking and a rounded cardiac silhouette, the latter echocardiographically due to pericardial effusion. Tuberculostatic drugs were started because miliary tuberculosis was suspected. But as his condition worsened and he was thought to have Pneumocystis pneumonia high doses of co-trimoxazole were administered. Perbronchial lung biopsy showed nonspecific chronic inflammatory changes. Periodide acid-Schiff reaction and Grocott staining demonstrated numerous histoplasma in alveolar macrophages and connective tissue. The organism was also cultured from bronchial secretions. Treatment was now changed to itraconazole (400 mg daily), 2 weeks later changed to liposomal amphotericin B (100 mg daily) because of renewed fever. After 6 weeks the patient became free of symptoms and the radiological changes had largely regressed. To prevent recurrence, treatment with itraconazole (400 mg daily) is being continued.