Epidemiological and histopathological profile of deep mycoses: report of a series of 23 cases at the Brazzaville University Hospital.

Abstract

Introduction: deep fungal infections are a group of rare fungal infections that often pose diagnostic challenges due to their tumor-like appearance.

Objective: to examine the epidemiological and histomorphological profile of deep fungal infections diagnosed in the Department of Pathological Anatomy and Cytology at the Brazzaville University Hospital.

Materials and Methods: this is a descriptive cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection conducted in the Department of Pathological Anatomy and Cytology at University Hospital of Brazzaville, over a five-year period, from January 2020 to December 2024, based on archives of reports, records, and tissue blocks from cases labeled as deep fungal infections.

Results: twenty-three (23) cases were collected. The average age was 36.6+/-3.2 years, with extremes of   2 and 54 years. The sex ratio was 1.3.  The lymph node was the most affected site. The histological forms observed were dominated by Histoplasma capsulatum duboisii variant histoplasmosis (11 cases), followed by aspergillosis, mycetoma’s, and deep candidiasis, with 7, 4, and 1 case, respectively. The diagnosis was mainly morphological. Only in two cases, notably Histoplasmosis, was it possible to carry out a mycological study.

Conclusion: deep fungal infections primarily affect relatively young individuals, particularly women, and histoplasmosis caused by Histoplasma capsulatum var. duboisii is the most common form. The lack of specific staining is a limitation of histopathological diagnosis.