Pulmonary Calcification in Negative Reactors to Tuberculin

Granulomas in Pediatric Liver Biopsies: Single Center Experience

BACKGROUND

Granulomas in pediatric liver biopsies (GPLB) are rare with the largest pediatric cohort reported over 25 years ago.

METHODS

Single-center retrospective study of GPLB.

RESULTS

Seventeen liver biopsies from 16 patients with granulomas were identified (9 boys, 56%) with a median age of 13 years (range: 1-18) for which the most common indication was the presence of a nodule/mass (47%). Significant comorbidities were seen in 13 patients (81%) and included: liver transplant (25%), history of a neoplasm (25%), autoimmune hepatitis (6%), Crohn disease (6%), bipolar disorder (6%), severe combined immunodeficiency (6%), and sickle cell disease (6%). Eleven patients were taking multiple medications at the time of biopsy. Granulomas were more commonly pan-acinar (11 cases) followed by subcapsular (4 cases), portal (1 case), and periportal (1 case). Necrosis was seen in 10 cases (59%). GMS stain was positive in 2 cases for Histoplasma-like yeast; microbiological cultures were negative in all cases (no: 4). A 18S and 16S rRNA gene sequencing performed in 15 cases revealed only 1 with a pathogenic microorganism, Mycobacterium angelicum.

CONCLUSION

In our experience, GPLB are heterogenous with only 3 cases having an identifiable infectious etiology and many of the remaining cases being associated to multiple medications, suggesting drug-induced liver injury as possible etiology.

Incidental findings during donor liver assessment: Single center experience

Intraoperative consultation of donor liver is an important part of transplant evaluation and determination of liver eligibility. In this study, we describe incidental pathologic findings discovered during the pretransplant evaluation of liver donors in our Institution from 1/2010 to 12/2022. During this 13-year period 369 intraoperative consultations from 262 liver donors were performed. Of those cases, incidental findings were identified in 22 cases (5.9 %) from 19 donors (7.3 %); two donors had more than one lesion. The median age of this subset of patients was 53 years (range: 18-70) and females predominated (63 %). Sixteen of the donors had abnormal findings in the liver: 6 bile duct hamartoma (BDH), 5 hyalinized nodule with Histoplasma capsulatum, 5 focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH), 2 bile duct adenomas (BDA), 1 biliary cyst and 1 hemangioma. One donor had both FNH and a BDH. One BDH and 1 BDA case was misdiagnosed as malignancy during the frozen section evaluation. Three donors had extrahepatic pathologies: a pancreatic tail schwannoma, a low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm, and a lymph node with metastatic endometrial endometrioid adenocarcinoma. Of the 19 livers, the final organ disposition was available for 9: 6 were transplanted (67 %) and 3 were discarded (33 %). Two of the 3 discarded organs were misdiagnosed BDH and BDA cases, and one was incorrectly reported as having 90 % microvesicular steatosis during the frozen assessment. We present the clinicopathologic characteristics of liver donors with incidental findings during the pre-transplant evaluation which could lead to unwarranted graft dismissal if misdiagnosed. Additionally, incidental fungal infections can have implications for immunosuppressive therapy and the decision to use or reject the graft.

The global epidemiology of emerging Histoplasma species in recent years

Histoplasmosis is a serious infectious disease in humans caused by Histoplasma spp. (Onygenales), whose natural reservoirs are thought to be soil enriched with bird and bat guano. The true global burden of histoplasmosis is underestimated and frequently the pulmonary manifestations are misdiagnosed as tuberculosis. Molecular data on epidemiology of Histoplasma are still scarce, even though there is increasing recognition of histoplasmosis in recent years in areas distant from the traditional endemic regions in the Americas. We used multi-locus sequence data from protein coding loci (ADP-ribosylation factor, H antigen precursor, and delta-9 fatty acid desaturase), DNA barcoding (ITS1/2+5.8s), AFLP markers and mating type analysis to determine the genetic diversity, population structure and recognise the existence of different phylogenetic species among 436 isolates of Histoplasma obtained globally. Our study describes new phylogenetic species and the molecular characteristics of Histoplasma lineages causing outbreaks with a high number of severe outcomes in Northeast Brazil between 2011 and 2015. Genetic diversity levels provide evidence for recombination, common ancestry and clustering of Brazilian isolates at different geographic scales with the emergence of LAm C, a new genotype assigned to a separate population cluster in Northeast Brazil that exhibited low diversity indicative of isolation. The global survey revealed that the high genetic variability among Brazilian isolates along with the presence of divergent cryptic species and/or genotypes may support the hypothesis of Brazil being the center of dispersion of Histoplasma in South America, possibly with the contribution of migratory hosts such as birds and bats. Outside Brazil, the predominant species depends on the region. We confirm that histoplasmosis has significantly broadened its area of occurrence, an important feature of emerging pathogens. From a practical point of view, our data point to the emergence of histoplasmosis caused by a plethora of genotypes, and will enable epidemiological analysis focused on understanding the processes that lead to histoplasmosis. Further, the description of this diversity opens avenues for comparative genomic studies, which will allow progress toward a consensus taxonomy, improve understanding of the presence of hybrids in natural populations of medically relevant fungi, test reproductive barriers and to explore the significance of this variation.

The endemic mimic: blastomycosis an illness often misdiagnosed

One of the endemic fungi, Blastomyces dermatitidis, can cause epidemics of infection with multiple persons involved in a point source outbreak but more commonly causes sporadic cases of infection within the areas of endemicity. Blastomycosis can present as an acute pneumonia which is often misdiagnosed as acute pneumococcal pneumonia or the infection may present as a chronic pneumonia along with weight loss, night sweats, hemoptysis, and a lung mass suggesting tuberculosis or carcinoma of the lung. Extrapulmonary infection with B. dermatitidis is protean with many different manifestations. Most commonly, skin or subcutaneous lesions are found with either a verrucous or warty appearance or in an ulcerative form. Cases have been misidentified as keratoacanthoma, pyoderma gangrenosum, carcinoma, or as Weber-Christian panniculitis if there are nodular subcutaneous lesions. Essentially any site or organ can have lesions of disseminated blastomycosis. In our series, cases of laryngeal carcinoma, adrenal insufficiency, thyroid nodules, granulomatous hypercalcemia, abnormal mammograms thought to represent breast carcinoma, otitis media with cranial extension, immune thrombocytopenic purpura, and hemolytic anemia of unknown cause have been misdiagnosed and blastomycosis subsequently identified as the cause. This infection causes manifestations which mimic many other more commonly diagnosed conditions and must always be considered by clinicians practicing in the endemic region.

Chronic primary central nervous system histoplasmosis in a healthy child with intermittent neurological manifestations

Meningitis is an unusual clinical manifestation of Histoplasma capsulatum infection in nonimmunosuppressed children. We report a previously healthy 6-year-old boy with primary, chronic histoplasma meningitis and magnetic resonance imaging findings consistent with demyelinating disease presenting with brief, intermittent neurological manifestations for 7 months before diagnosis.

Blastomycosis: new insights into diagnosis, prevention, and treatment

The basic science and clinical understanding of infection with Blastomyces dermatitidis has been a field of constant evolution and continued revision of hypotheses. This article highlights some areas in which recent progress has the potential for significant impact on the clinical care of patients. Specifically, this article examines the application of modern technology to epidemiologic studies, the development of novel vaccine candidates, emerging populations at risk for the disease, rapid diagnostic tools, and the application of novel antifungal agents in the treatment of blastomycosis.

Histoplasmin reaction. Comparison of a polysaccharide antigen to the filtrate antigen

This work was planned by taking into account all the knowledge accumulated from the immunological study of paracoccidioidomycosis. It aimed at comparing a polysaccharide antigen from Histoplasma capsulatum to a classic histoplasmin with the help of intradermal tests of delayed type of hypersensitivity. Tests were applied to 115 individuals in Santo Amaro, a town in the State of São Paulo. Positive results using classic histoplasmin were obtained in 46.0% cases whereas positive results using the polysaccharide antigen at its highest concentration were obtained in 51.30% cases. The major conclusion in this investigation is that it is possible to use the polysaccharide antigen as histoplasmin instead of the filtrate antigen.

Case report and review of disseminated histoplasmosis in South-East Asia: clinical and epidemiological implications

The South-East Asian region is not known to be a major endemic area for histoplasmosis. We have recently diagnosed several cases of disseminated histoplasmosis in patients from this region. We report on a well documented indigenous case of disseminated histoplasmosis in a 62-year-old poultry farmer and review the literature for other reported cases of clinical histoplasmosis in the South-East Asian region. Sporadic cases of indigenous chronic pulmonary and non-meningeal disseminated histoplasmosis in immunocompetent hosts have been reported as well as examples of disseminated histoplasmosis in immunocompromised hosts. These reports suggest that histoplasmosis is endemic to certain areas in South-East Asia and that there may be a large number of undiagnosed and subclinical cases. The recent advances in diagnostic tests for histoplasmosis are also reviewed with reference to the experience of using these tests in the reported case.

Cutaneous manifestations of systemic mycoses

Systemic fungal diseases are primary pulmonary diseases caused by the dimorphic fungal pathogens, Blastomyces dermatitides, Coccidioides immitis. Histoplasma capsulatum, or Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. Infection occurs after inhalation of the infectious form of the fungus and may be acute, self-limited, or subclinical. Primary cutaneous infection occurs only after traumatic implantation of the fungus and is unusual. Erythema nodosum or erythema multiforme may accompany the acute form of the disease. Other cutaneous manifestations represent disseminated disease and, as such, require systemic antifungal therapy. Because cutaneous lesions have occurred coincidentally with other cutaneous pathologies, emphasis should be placed on a complete clinical history, physical examination, and diagnosis by histopathology and culture.

Evidence of subclinical blastomycosis in forestry workers in northern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin

PURPOSE

To investigate the incidence of remote subclinical blastomycosis in a high-risk population of forestry workers.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The study consisted of 39 male forestry workers from northern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin, areas endemic for blastomycosis but not for histoplasmosis. All subjects were histoplasmin skin test-negative, and none had ever been diagnosed with blastomycosis or pneumonia. An antigen-specific lymphocyte stimulation assay was performed to determine the presence of blastomycosis.

RESULTS

Peripheral blood lymphocytes from 12 of 39 subjects demonstrated specific antigen-induced proliferation when stimulated with a purified alkali- and water-soluble antigen derived from the cell wall of Blastomyces dermatitidis.

CONCLUSION

The finding that 30% of these men had evidence of previous blastomycosis suggests that subclinical cases do occur sporadically, and are probably more common than diagnosed symptomatic cases. This is similar to histoplasmosis, in which the majority of infections are subclinical. However, the reservoir of persons with previous undiagnosed blastomycosis is probably small compared to the huge number of persons (perhaps 30 million) with prior histoplasmosis.

Gastrointestinal histoplasmosis

Three cases are reported of gastrointestinal histoplasmosis in patients who came from the Caribbean or South America and had lymphoma, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and prior local radiation therapy. The patients had small-bowel obstruction with ileal involvement, mucosal erythema, and friability on colonoscopy with colonic involvement and an exophytic rectal mass with rectal involvement. Review of the 77 reported cases of gastrointestinal histoplasmosis shows that this is a clinical subset of disseminated histoplasmosis. With gastrointestinal involvement, pulmonary symptoms are uncommon and gastrointestinal symptoms predominate. Fever is less common than in other forms of dissemination. The most common lesions are a mass or ulcers, which often mimic inflammatory bowel disease or carcinoma. Terminal ileal involvement predominates in one third. The complement fixation test was positive in about three quarters of cases tested, but the skin test is not diagnostically useful. In one quarter of patients there is other evidence of immunosuppression. In the immunosuppressed, gastrointestinal histoplasmosis must be considered, even in a patient from a nonendemic area, who presents with lesions appearing like carcinoma or inflammatory bowel disease. When feasible, endoscopic examination and biopsy with stains and culture for histoplasmosis is recommended for diagnosis. Medical management is recommended, with surgery reserved for acute emergencies or when mandatory for diagnosis.

Surgical intervention in histoplasmosis

Histoplasmosis is a ubiquitous disease in endemic areas that has a generally subclinical course. Excessive inflammatory response may bring some patients to the attention of a thoracic surgeon to exclude malignancy of a noncalcified pulmonary or mediastinal mass or to relieve compression of specific structures. Mediastinal granuloma or fibrosing mediastinitis may involve the superior vena cava, pulmonary vessels, heart and pericardium, tracheobronchial tree, or esophagus. The cases of 94 recently treated patients are presented as well as a review of the American surgical literature. The current use of computed tomography, the time and extent of operative intervention, and the role of antifungal therapy are important to an overall understanding of the surgical treatment of the manifestations of histoplasmosis.

Pulmonary, mediastinal, and cardiac presentations of histoplasmosis

Sixty-one patients with histoplasmosis were identified. They ranged from 14 months to 67 years old. There were 56 male and 5 female patients. Disease presentations were categorized into pulmonary (47), mediastinal (11), pericardial (2), and cardiac (1). Twenty of the patients with pulmonary involvement had histoplasmomas treated by wedge resection (18) or lobectomy (2). Twenty-two of the 27 cavitary lesions were treated by lobectomy and 4 by segmental resection, and 1 required pneumonectomy. The patients with mediastinal granulomas or fibrosis underwent exploration for diagnosis and curative or palliative procedures. Two patients with pericardial histoplasmosis required pericardial windows to relieve acute tamponade. One patient with disseminated histoplasmosis required aortic valve replacement for histoplasmosis valvulitis with severe regurgitation. The 1 operative death was a patient requiring pneumonectomy for mediastinal histoplasmosis. Indications for operative intervention in pulmonary histoplasmosis included resection of a new or enlarging pulmonary nodule to provide a definite pathological diagnosis and resection of persistent thick-walled pulmonary cavities. Mediastinal granuloma with or without fibrosis required exploration for diagnosis, palliation, or cure. Fungal endocarditis necessitated treatment with amphotericin B and valve replacement to stabilize the patient's hemodynamic status and prevent embolization of large fungal vegetations. Pericardial effusion, a rare manifestation of histoplasmosis, was seen as acute tamponade requiring emergency intervention.

Ulcerated lesion of the alveolar ridge

Histoplasmosis is a generalized fungal infection that is caused by the organism H capsulatum. In the most common disease-producing mechanism, the organism is inhaled and lodges in the lung, where it initiates an inflammatory focus. The peribronchial lymph nodes are subsequently involved, forming a primary complex that may ultimately calcify and become radiographically evident. From the primary complex, dissemination by the bloodstream may lead to colonization elsewhere. In the less frequent disease-producing complex, the organism is introduced directly into the tissue through a break in its continuity. A primary complex is then formed by involvement of the lymph nodes. Dissemination from such a focus is rare. It is generally believed that oral and pharyngeal lesions of the histoplasmosis represent symptoms of a systemic disease and are not a localized form of the disease. Histoplasmosis can occur at all ages; however, it is more often found in infancy and old age, especially in white males. Any area in the oral cavity may be affected; the most common sites are: larynx, tongue, palate, buccal mucosa. gingiva, and pharynx. The most frequently reported symptoms are pain, hoarseness, loss of weight, ulcer, and sore throat. The appearance of the oral and pharyngeal lesions may vary and may manifest as ulcers, nodules, or verrucous plaques. Deep, indurated ulcers are common, accounting for the predominant clinical impression of squamous carcinoma.

The spectrum of histoplasmosis in a general hospital: a review of 55 cases diagnosed at Barnes Hospital between 1966 and 1977

Between 1966 and 1977, 55 patients at Barnes Hospital were proven to have manifestations of histoplasmosis. Five patients had acute pulmonary histoplasmosis, four of whom demonstrated unusually severe disease. Disseminated histoplasmosis was documented in 19 cases. Four of these patients demonstrated dissemination during a severe and protracted but self-limited illness. The other 15 patients had progressive disease. Most of these patients were immune compromised and presented with fever of unknown origin. Therapy most benefited those who completed a course of greater than or equal to 1.5 gm of amphotericin B. Chronic pulmonary histoplasmosis was documented in 14 individuals. Large (> 1.5 cm), solitary pulmonary coin lesions, excised from 14 patients, were found to consist of exuberant granulomas containing yeast. Organisms were recovered from pleural effusions of two patients and demonstrated histologically in the tissue of one individual who presented with fibrosing mediastinitis.

Pulmonary histoplasmosis: a review of 50 cases

Histoplasmosis is a systemic fungal infection caused by Histoplasma capsulatum. Infection, identified by skin testing, has been found in more than 50 countries. In Canada the disease is endemic in the St. Lawrence River Valley. Fifty patients with positive reaction to histoplasmin skin tests were reviewed at the Provincial Chest Clinic in Windsor, Ontario. All were asymptomatic; 27 had a history of present or previous involvement in farming or poultry rearing.

Oral African histoplasmosis resembling Burkitt's lymphoma

An African type of histoplasmosis with oral involvement has been described. It differs from the histoplasmosis caused by Histoplasma capsulatum. This article discusses the clinicopathologic differences and describes a case seen in Nigeria in which the patient had an oral lesion resembling Burkitt's lymphoma but also had disseminated lesions. The treatment is discussed.

Focal choroidopathy in experimental ocular histoplasmosis

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