Perforated granulomatous colitis caused by Histoplasma capsulatum

Abstract

A 57-year-old man who presented with an acute abdomen and clinically was thought to have perforated colonic diverticulitis, was found to have transmural granulomatous inflammation and perforation of colon that was caused by Histoplasma capsulatum. Although involvement of any part of the gastrointestinal tract may occur with disseminated histoplasmosis, the complication of intestinal perforation requiring emergency surgery (particularly in the colon) is extremely rare and warrants this case report with discussion of the various clinicopathologic features of gastrointestinal histoplasmosis and the occurrence of primary intestinal histoplasmosis.