Diagnostic insights into disseminated histoplasmosis: a case report highlighting bone marrow analysis

Vaanya Kaushik; Ruchee Khanna; Vinay Khanna; Muralidhar Varma

doi:10.18502/ijm.v16i1.14886

Vaanya Kaushik Department of Pathology, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
Ruchee Khanna Department of Pathology, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
Vinay Khanna Department of Microbiology, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
Muralidhar Varma Department of Infectious Diseases, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijm.v16i1.14886

Keywords: Histoplasmosis; HIV infection; Opportunistic infection; Pancytopenia; Bone marrow examination

Abstract

We present a case of a 43-year-old immunocompromised female patient diagnosed with disseminated histoplasmosis on bone marrow examination, at clinical laboratory of Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, Karnataka, India. The patient, presenting with symptoms like weight loss, appetite loss, and pancytopenia, underwent bone marrow aspiration and biopsy. The bone marrow studies revealed HIV-associated changes and the yeast form of Histoplasma capsulatum, confirming disseminated histoplasmosis. Bone marrow examination is highlighted as a diagnostic tool with significant sensitivity in such cases. The report stresses on the importance of awareness and early diagnosis of histoplasmosis in immunocompromised patients, given its potential lethality and the need for timely therapeutic intervention for better prognosis.