A Akhlaq1, N K Ghanchi2, B Usmani1, R Shahzad2, A Rahim2, M Wasay3, M A Beg4. 1. Medical College, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. 2. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. 3. Section of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. 4. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi PO 3500, Pakistan, masim.beg@aku.edu.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Malaria remains an endemic disease in Pakistan with an estimated healthcare burden of 1.6 million cases annually, with Plasmodium vivax accounting for 67% of reported cases. P. vivax is the most common species causing malaria outside of Africa, with approximately 13.8 million reported cases worldwide. METHOD: We report a series of P. vivax cases with cerebral involvement that presented at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. RESULTS: The majority of the patients presented with high-grade fever accompanied by projectile vomiting and abnormal behaviour, seizures, shock and unconsciousness. Seven of 801 patients with P. vivax monoinfection presented or developed cerebral complications. P. vivax infections were diagnosed based on peripheral smears and rapid diagnostic testing. CONCLUSION: P. vivax infection can lead to severe complications, although not with the frequency of Plasmodium falciparum infection. Current cases highlight an increasing trend of cerebral complications caused by P. vivax.
BACKGROUND:Malaria remains an endemic disease in Pakistan with an estimated healthcare burden of 1.6 million cases annually, with Plasmodium vivax accounting for 67% of reported cases. P. vivax is the most common species causing malaria outside of Africa, with approximately 13.8 million reported cases worldwide. METHOD: We report a series of P. vivax cases with cerebral involvement that presented at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. RESULTS: The majority of the patients presented with high-grade fever accompanied by projectile vomiting and abnormal behaviour, seizures, shock and unconsciousness. Seven of 801 patients with P. vivax monoinfection presented or developed cerebral complications. P. vivaxinfections were diagnosed based on peripheral smears and rapid diagnostic testing. CONCLUSION:P. vivaxinfection can lead to severe complications, although not with the frequency of Plasmodium falciparum infection. Current cases highlight an increasing trend of cerebral complications caused by P. vivax.