  We have analysed the infrared hydrogen recombination lines of a sample of
well studied hot massive stars observed with the Infrared Space Observatory.
Our sample contains stars from several classes of objects, whose circumstellar
environment is believed to be dominated by an ionized stellar wind (the
Luminous Blue Variables) or by a dense disk-like geometry (Be stars and B[e]
stars). We show that hydrogen infrared recombination lines can be used as a
diagnostic tool to constrain the geometry of the ionized circumstellar
material. The line strengths are sensitive to the density of the emitting gas.
High densities result in optically thick lines for which line strengths are
only dependent on the emitting surface. Low density gas produces optically thin
lines which may be characterized by Menzel case B recombination. The ISO
observations show that stellar winds are dominated by optically thin \hi\
recombination lines, while disks are dominated by optically thick lines. Disks
and winds are well separated in a diagnostic diagram using the \hu/\bra and the
\hu/\pfg line flux ratios. This diagnostic tool is useful to constrain the
nature of hot star environments in case they are highly obscured, for instance
while they are still embedded in their natal molecular cloud.
