An Autopsy Case of Sudden Death Caused by Cerebral Malaria Infection

• Published in: Türkiye parazitolojii dergisi 2015-09, Vol.39 (3), p.234-237
• Main Authors: Yağmur, Gülhan, Gürler, A Selçuk, Karayel, Ferah, Şahin, M Feyzi, Apaydın, Nedim, Koç, Sermet
• Format: Article
• Language: eng ; tur
• Subjects: Antimalarials - therapeutic use; Autopsy; Bone Marrow - pathology; Brain - pathology; Clindamycin - therapeutic use; Death, Sudden - pathology; Fatal Outcome; Humans; Malaria, Cerebral - diagnosis; Malaria, Cerebral - pathology; Male; Middle Aged; Quinine - therapeutic use; Spleen - pathology; Travel
• ISSN: 1300-6320; 2146-3077
• DOI: 10.5152/tpd.2015.3700

Malaria is a lethal protozoan infection which is generally diagnosed antemortem and rarely diagnosed postmortem in a few cases. A fifty five year old, Turkish citizen male has been referred for autopsy. It has been found that he has gone abroad to work a month ago, however, quitted malaria prophylaxis before the intended end and brought into the emergency department in an unconscious state.Following quinine and clindamycin treatment with the initial diagnosis of cerebral malaria, the case was reported to have died due to his general condition got worsened at the end of the third day of therapy.Histopathological evaluation of postmortem tissues was revealed haphazardly arranged minor bleedings and central vascular necrotic foci in the cerebrum, cerebelum and brain stem; light brown pigment containing cells around vasculature; and pigment containing cells in the spleen and bone marrow. Cerebral malaria has a rapid course and is rare but one of the lethal complications of infections with Plasmodium. Although domestic malaria cases has been decreasing in our country, it should be kept in mind that the malaria infection can be seen in persons travelling abroad to high endemic malarial regions and an appropriate antimalarial prophylaxis should be recommended to those overseas travellers.