Blood, 1953, Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 329-335.
© 1953 American Society of Hematology, Inc.
The Value of Routine Bone Marrow Culture for
Histoplasma Capsulatum in Pediatric Hematology
ROBERT J. ROHN M.D.1,
WILLIAM H. BOND M.D.1, and
EDITH HAYNES PH.D.1
1 Department of Experimental Medicine, Division of Hematology, Indiana
University Medical Center, Indianapolis, Ind.
1. Of 76 bone marrow cultures in pediatric patients with a variety of hematologic abnormalities, 5 (6.5 per cent) yielded H. capsulatum.
2. Methods used and brief case reports were described.
3. In 2 of the 5 cases with histoplasmosis, organisms were observed on direct
examination of the marrow and cultures were only of confirmatory value.
4. In the remaining 3 patients with histoplasmosis, direct examination of
marrow showed no features which distinguished them from the 71 negatives.
In these 3 bone marrow culture was the only means by which diagnosis could be
established.
5. In no instance in which a negative bone marrow culture for H. capsulatum
was obtained, was histoplasmosis diagnosed by other methods.
6. We are of the opinion that while routine marrow culture for H. capsulatum
is of little value in adults, it is of considerable value for case finding in infants
and children.
Submitted on September 8, 1952
Accepted on October 21, 1952
