Prognostic significance of eye changes in cerebral malaria.
OBJECTIVE
Eye in Plasmodium falciparum malaria are described by various workers all over the world but its prognostic significance is not clear because of conflicting observation by different authors from different regions. No such study is available on Indian adult patients of cerebral malaria.  So we want to describe  our observations on various eye abnormalities in these patients and study its prognostic significance.


METHODS
Two hundred and fourteen adult (> 14 years) patients of strictly defined cerebral malaria admitted in classified malaria ward in this tertiary level health care station were studies.  Detailed ophthalmoscopic examination was done through dilated pupils at the time of admission, daily thereafter, at the time of discharge and at weekly intervals in those with persistent changes at the time of discharge.


RESULTS
Retinal haemorrhage was found in 25 (11.68%) patients, papilloedema in 17 (7.94%), blurring of disc margins in 25 (11.68%), retinal oedema in six (2.8%), disc pallor in five (2.33%), vitreous haemorrhage and hard exudate in one (0.46%) each and subconjunctival haemorrhage in six (2.8%) patients.  The mortality associated with individual finding was not statistically significant except disc pallor.


CONCLUSIONS
None of the above finding except disc pallor (p < 0.05) was associated with statistically significant mortality (p > 0.05); whereas any of the fundus findings as a whole was related to statistically significant mortality (p < 0.05).
Department of Medicine, Divisionof Neurology, SP Medical College, Bikaner-334003.
D K
DK
Kochar
Shubhakaran
B L
BL
Kumawat
S P
SP
Vyas
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D003906:Developing Countries; D015822:Eye Infections, Parasitic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D016779:Malaria, Cerebral / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission; D015996:Survival Rate