Primary Cutaneous Histoplasmosis

Histoplasmosis was considered a rare and always fatal disease for many years after it was first described by Darling in 1906. However, recent epidemiological studies in the United States have revealed that in some states in the endemic area 60% to 70% of males aged 17 through 21 years have been infected with Histoplasma capsulatum . 1 The respiratory tract is the usual portal of entry of the fungus with the primary lesion occurring in the lungs. 2 Cases of histoplasmosis having skin lesions have been reported, but the skin lesions were usually the result of dissemination of the infection. 3,4 The purpose of this paper is to report a case of primary cutaneous histoplasmosis which resulted from direct inoculation of the fungus through the skin. Report of Case On Jan 12, 1959, a 32-year-old white male who had recently moved into the endemic area for histoplasmosis assisted with an autopsy