Persistence of Plasmodium falciparum in the placenta after apparently effective quinidine/clindamycin therapy.
The persistence of Plasmodium falciparum in the placenta after apparently adequate therapy with quinine has been described. We describe this phenomenon in the placenta of a 19-year-old woman with falciparum malaria, who was treated with a combination of quinidine and clindamycin. Although this therapy was effective and diminished her peripheral blood parasitemia from 3% at presentation to almost undetectable at the time of delivery, vast numbers of P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes were present in the maternal sinusoids of the placenta. This sequestration of infected erythrocytes produced a local parasitemia in the placenta of 70% to 80%. Additionally, rare Plasmodium-infected erythrocytes were also seen in the fetal blood of the placenta. We review malaria in pregnancy, parasitic involvement of the placenta and emphasize that Plasmodium-infected erythrocytes may persist in the placenta even after clearance of parasites from the peripheral blood.
Procop
G W
GW
Section of Microbiology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
Jessen
R
R
Hyde
S R
SR
Scheck
D N
DN
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002981:Clindamycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010920:Placenta / Q000469:parasitology*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011802:Quinidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000962:Antimalarials; D002981:Clindamycin; D011802:Quinidine