Histoplasmosis: clinical syndromes and management.

The fungus Histoplasma capsulatum produces a spectrum of disease forms ranging from a benign self-limited illness to progressive disseminated disease with a 50 percent mortality rate. The drug of choice, amphotericin B, must be given intravenously over a prolonged course and carries a high incidence of toxicity. Thus, optimal managment of serious forms of histoplasmosis requires considerable clinical judgment.