A Study of Itraconazole in Preventing the Return of Histoplasmosis, a Fungal Infection, in Patients With AIDS

To test the effectiveness of itraconazole in preventing the recurrence of disseminated histoplasmosis in AIDS patients. Histoplasmosis is a serious opportunistic infection in patients with AIDS. Amphotericin B has been used to treat the infection. Although the response to this treatment is generally good, up to 90 percent of AIDS patients who have taken amphotericin B to treat their histoplasmosis infection will have a relapse (that is, they will get the disease again) within 12 months following treatment. Ketoconazole has been used to prevent relapse, but available information suggests that up to 50 percent of AIDS patients relapse even with ketoconazole treatment. A more effective therapy to prevent recurrence is needed. Itraconazole has been used successfully to treat disseminated histoplasmosis in non-AIDS patients and it is hoped that it may be more effective in preventing histoplasmosis relapse.