On 9/15/05 2:46 PM, in article
11280-4329EBBB-262@storefull-3232.bay.webtv.net, "I love my doggie"
<doggirl3@webtv.net> wrote:

If he said you were born with it, it is not histoplasmosis. People have to
be exposed to it for it to happen.

A similar sounding disease is toxoplasmosis. This you CAN be borne with. It
is transmitted typically from infected cats, gets into the mother's system,
and gets into the fetus. (Why pregnant women should not have ats or empty
cats' litter boxes.)It causes a very typical congenital toxo lesion usually
in the macula, which would cause a permanent visual defect usually. This is
white scar with black pigmentation around it, and looks excavated. Toxo can
reactivate late in life and if so, can be treated with special antibitocis
and steroids. Testing involves toxo titers (blood test) to identify
antibodies to the organism.

Histoplasmosis lesions look entirely different. Would be hard to confuse one
with the other. Histo infections are called POHS (presumed ocular
histoplasmosis syndrome), because there is no direct test that identifies
the organism and the lesions; it is based on the appearance and location.
These are small lesions in the macula and peripapillary area, much smaller
than the lesions seen in toxo.