Histoplasmosis presenting as bilateral adrenal masses: cytomorphological diagnosis of three cases

Abstract

Histoplasmosis is a worldwide infectious disease caused by inhalation of spores of a fungus, called Histoplasma capsulatum.Adrenals can be involved as a part of disseminated infection in immunocompromized patients. However, histoplasmosis presenting primarily as a bilateral adrenal masses in an immunocompetent patient is very unusual and rare. We encountered three such cases in which fine-needle aspiration (FNA) performed under ultrasonographic (USG) guidance from bilateral adrenal masses primarily established the diagnosis. This report emphasizes the importance of considering localized fungal infection as differential diagnoses of mass lesions involving bilateral adrenals even if the patients are immunocompetent, along with the commoner lesions at these sites.