Unwelcome guests in monocytes: Peripheral blood histoplasmosis

Abstract

Disseminated histoplasmosis is a serious and life-threatening opportunistic infection in patients with HIV/AIDS. An early diagnosis and appropriate therapy can save lives. The diagnosis predominantly relies on clinical suspicion, radiological investigations, and histopathology. Rarely, Histoplasma can be identified in peripheral blood monocytes or neutrophils. However, a careful peripheral blood smear examination is needed and can result in an early diagnosis. We present a case of a 28-year old young man suffering from HIV/AIDS, who could be diagnosed with disseminated histoplasmosis with a careful peripheral blood smear examination.