Out of town guest: A healthy 7 year old from a non-endemic area presents with histoplasmosis granulomatous disease

Abstract

Histoplasmosis is a common fungal infection, normally infecting people exposed to demolition sites or bat/bird droppings in the central and eastern states. When a child presents with a chest mass and eosinophilia in a non-endemic region the likelihood of an infectious process like pulmonary histoplasmosis is unknown. A seven year old immunocompetent child with a mediastinal mass and eosinophilia presented with acute cough, fever, non-bloody emesis, and four pound weight loss. A neoplastic work up was negative. Further evaluation showed a positive M band (chronic histoplasmosis infection) and negative H band (acute infection). Tissue obtained by thoracotomy demonstrated necrotizing granulomatous inflammation with calcification consistent with histoplasmosis. Patient recovered after completion of a twelve week course of itraconazole. A mediastinal mass in a symptomatic child has a 50% risk of cancer as the primary diagnosis. The Infectious Disease Society of America guidelines recommend treatment of histoplasmosis granulomatous disease with itraconazole if symptomatic and surgery only for obstruction. Thus our patient did not have a clear indication for surgery. In a child with a mediastinal mass, despite low risk factors should they be evaluated for a fungal infection prior to invasive surgery? This case demonstrates that histoplasmosis can cause a granuloma in a non-endemic region and that an infectious etiology ought to be considered when working up a symptomatic child with a chest mass as it may prevent unnecessary surgery. Keywords: Histoplasmosis, Fungal, Cough, Chest mass, Eosinophilia, Thoracotomy, Mediastinal