Histoplasmosis is a mycosis due to a dimorphic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. This study aimed at providing
an overview of histoplasmosis epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic aspects from the last
30 years. This review was carried out using a systematic literature search on histoplasmosis from 1992 to 2021. We
describe the clinical features, diagnostic methods and treatment. Empirical searches were conducted via the
databases PubMed, Google Scholar and Science Direct.
Between 1992 and 2021, 190 manuscripts were published and reported 212 cases of histoplasmosis. These
publications included 115 and 97 cases of American and African histoplasmosis respectively. The number of
publications increased over the last ten years with a maximum in 2020 (12.34 % of the cases reported). The
disseminated forms of histoplasmosis were the most frequently reported cases as compared to the localized
forms. This was the case with the American histoplasmosis (75.65 %) as well as with the African histoplasmosis
(55.67 %). Itraconazole (31.17 %) and Amphotericin B (26.62 %) were the most used drugs in the management
of these cases. American histoplasmosis is distributed worldwide whereas African histoplasmosis is mainly present in intertropical Africa. There is a critical need for setting up a global surveillance system, towards a better understanding of the disease.
Histoplasmosis Histoplasma capsulatum var capsulatum Histoplasma capsulatum var duboisii Epidemiology Clinical forms Treatment