An imported malaria case with repeated episodes of neurological syndromes resulting from different Plasmodium species

• Published in: BMC infectious diseases 2024-01, Vol.24 (1), p.41-41, Article 41
• Main Authors: Xiang, Zheng, Zhou, Longcan, Pan, Maohua, Qin, Yucheng, Bai, Yao, Qin, Pien, Zeng, Weilin, Wei, Xiaosheng, Lu, Yuxin, Somboonwit, Charurut, Menezes, Lynette, Huang, Yaming, Cui, Liwang, Yang, Zhaoqing
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antiparasitic agents; Blood; Care and treatment; Case Report; Cerebral malaria; Coma; Complications and side effects; Consciousness; Control; Dehydrogenases; Diagnosis; Disorders; Health aspects; Hospitals; Humans; Identification and classification; Infection; Infections; Malaria; Malaria, Cerebral - complications; Malaria, Cerebral - diagnosis; Malaria, Falciparum - complications; Malaria, Falciparum - diagnosis; Malaria, Falciparum - parasitology; Malaria, Vivax - complications; Malaria, Vivax - diagnosis; Malaria, Vivax - parasitology; Medical diagnosis; Microscopy; Mortality; Neurologic manifestations of general diseases; Parasites; Peripheral blood; Physicians; Plasmodium; Plasmodium falciparum; Plasmodium vivax; Plasmodium vivax - genetics; Post-malaria neurological syndrome; Recovery; Sequential episodes; Travel; Vector-borne diseases; Ventilators; West Africa
• ISSN: 1471-2334; 1471-2334
• DOI: 10.1186/s12879-023-08872-y

Imported cerebral malaria (CM) cases in non-endemic areas are often misdiagnosed, which delays treatment. Post-malaria neurological syndrome (PMNS) after recovery from severe malaria can also complicate diagnosis. We report an imported malaria case from West Africa with two sequential episodes with neurological syndromes within about a month. The first episode was diagnosed as CM with microscopy-positive Plasmodium falciparum infection. The second episode, occurring a month after the recovery from the first CM episode, was consistent with PMNS, since malaria parasites were not detected by microscopy in peripheral blood smears. However, this diagnosis was complicated by the detection of Plasmodium vivax in peripheral blood by PCR, suggesting a potential cause of the second episode by P. vivax. This study suggests that PMNS often occurs after severe falciparum malaria. Concurrent P. vivax infection with pathogenic biomass being predominantly extravascular further complicates accurate diagnosis.