Salvage treatment of histoplasmosis with posaconazole.

Author(s): Restrepo A, Tobon A, Clark B, Graham DR, Corcoran G, Bradsher RW, Goldman M, Pankey G, Moore T, Negroni R, Graybill JR

Affiliation(s): Corporacion para Investigaciones Biologicas, Carrera, Medellin, Colombia. angelares@geo.net.co <angelares@geo.net.co>

Publication date & source: 2007-04, J Infect., 54(4):319-27. Epub 2006 Jul 7.

Publication type: Case Reports; Clinical Trial; Multicenter Study; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Six patients received salvage treatment with posaconazole oral suspension (800 mg/day in divided doses) for severe forms of histoplasmosis. One patient had pulmonary disease and 5 had disseminated disease. Previous antifungal therapy consisted of amphotericin B, itraconazole, fluconazole, or voriconazole. Posaconazole treatment duration for individual patients ranged from 6 weeks to 34 weeks. All patients had successful clinical outcomes with significant clinical improvements noted during the first month of therapy. Although the number of patients evaluated in this case series is small, the findings are encouraging and provide preliminary evidence that posaconazole may be a useful salvage treatment option for histoplasmosis involving a variety of infected tissues and organs.