Sketchy Micro: Histoplasmosis Flashcards
Histoplasma is almost always associated with ______________.
bird or bat droppings –such as a patient who spelunks
Think of the bats in the HISTOrian’s cave.
Where (in the U.S.) is Histoplasma commonly found?
In the Mississippi Valley (like the map with the Mississippi highlighted and the fact that this is INDIANA Jones’ dorky brother)
How do Histoplasma infect people?
People inhale spores and the fungi then infect macrophages (like the bird in the macrophage cage symbol next to the guy coughing).
How can Histoplasma be diagnosed?
With urine or serum antigen tests (like the red and yellow dripping stalagtites)
On KOH staining, Histoplasma appear as ______________.
small ovoid bodies inside macrophages (like the smaller puddles inside the larger puddles on the cave floor)
Histoplasma is dimorphic, meaning _______________.
it is a “mold in the cold and a yeast in the heat”
Think of the dimorphic butterfly.
What systemic signs does Histoplasma cause?
- Lung calcifications (like the white stalactites on the wall that looks like lungs)
- Erythema nodosum (like the red spots on the pillars that resemble legs)
What does Histoplasma do in immunocompromised people?
It spreads to the liver and spleen and causes calcifications (like the cave painting of the bull with the liver and spleen spots above the historian’s cane).
What two drugs treat Histoplasmosis?
- Ketoconazole or fluconazole for local infections (like the pine cones)
- Amphotericin for systemic infections (like the frog painting beneath the bull painting)