Oral involvement is rarely found in histoplasmosis, except in its disseminated form, which is mostly observed in the severely immunocompromised host. Herein, we presented the case of a 36-year-old female with a previous history of liver transplant, who was hospitalized due to fever, chills, night sweats, diarrhea, and painful oral lesions over the last 3 days. The oral examination revealed the presence of painful shallow ulcers lined by a pseudomembrane in the gingiva and the soft and hard palate. The initial working diagnosis comprised cytomegalovirus reactivation or herpes simplex virus infection. The diagnostic work-up included incisional biopsies of the gingiva and the sigmoid colon. Both biopsies confirmed the diagnosis of histoplasmosis. Intravenous itraconazole was administered with significant improvement after 7 days. Although oral involvement is rare, histoplasmosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of oral lesions, particularly when the patient is immunosuppressed. This study reports a rare presentation of histoplasmosis involving the mucosa of the oral cavity and the colon.
LevitskyJ, DuddempudiAT, LakemanFD, et al. Detection and diagnosis of herpes simplex virus infection in adults with acute liver failure. Liver Transpl. 2008;14(10):1498-504. [https://doi.org/10.1002/lt.21567]. [PMID:18825709]
IqbalF, SchifterM, ColemanHG. Oral presentation of histoplasmosis in an immunocompetent patient: a diagnostic challenge. Aust Dent J. 2014;59(3):386-8. [https://doi.org/10.1111/adj.12187]. [PMID:24819556]
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