1. Case report: Primary infection of conjunctival histoplasmosis mimicking a large conjunctival neoplasm in an immunosuppressed patient
- Author
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Jonathan Lam, Rumana Hussain, Sarah E. Coupland, and Heinrich Heimann
- Subjects
conjunctival tumor ,histoplasmosis ,immunosuppression ,masquerade ,amphotericin B ,Medicine (General) ,R5-920 - Abstract
We report a rare case of a rapidly growing and large conjunctival histoplasmosis lesion in an immunosuppressed West African woman in her 80s, affecting her only eye. The patient had undergone a renal transplant and was on immunosuppressive medications. Additionally, she had previously been treated for presumed systemic histoplasmosis with itraconazole more than 5 years ago. Despite receiving previous treatment, she presented with a large conjunctival lesion, which was confirmed to be histoplasmosis after an excisional biopsy. The lesion was observed to grow over a 2-week period, causing significant visual impairment. Following a comprehensive systems review and investigation, the conjunctiva was identified as the sole site of infection. This case underscores the rarity of sight-threatening Histoplasma infections in the conjunctiva of an immunosuppressed individual. Conjunctival histoplasmosis lesions are rarely reported, with even fewer cases documented as primarily originating from this location.
- Published
- 2024
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