The clinical features of cerebral malaria in children.

This paper is a description of the clinical features of cerebral malaria in children, based on the author's experience in a study of this disease in Malawi, Africa. The presenting symptoms, physical signs and laboratory features are described, and the course of the illness during treatment is outlined. Cerebral malaria can resemble many other childhood illnesses; accurate diagnosis is essential if correct treatment is to be provided quickly. Even with optimal treatment the mortality is about 20%, and some children are left with neurological sequelae.