Crohn's disease or histoplasmosis? A case of severe disseminated histoplasmosis mimicking Crohn's disease and literature review

Abstract

Disseminated histoplasmosis (DH) often mimics other diseases, leading to misdiagnosis and delays in treatment. We present a patient who developed DH after treatment with immunosuppressants for an initial diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Upon diagnosing her with DH, liposomal amphotericin B was started, and she eventually recovered after a prolonged hospitalization. Intrabdominal histoplasmosis has many similarities with IBD. Treatment with immunosuppressants in undiagnosed histoplasmosis can lead to dissemination with potentially catastrophic results.

Keywords

• Histoplasmosis
• Gastrointestinal bleeding
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Immunosuppression