Malaria after living donor liver transplantation: report of two cases.
BACKGROUND
Infectious complications are common during the postoperative course of a liver transplant recipient. Malaria, however, is a rare complication in such a setting.


METHODS
We report post-transplantation malaria causing elevation of liver enzymes in two recipients.


RESULTS
Both patients who had undergone living donor liver transplantation showed elevated levels of liver enzymes and fever during the postoperative course. Investigations (including liver biopsy in one patient) were initially inconclusive in determining the cause of liver dysfunction. The diagnosis of malaria was established in both cases by peripheral blood smear. Liver function transiently worsened with antimalarial treatment but subsequently became normal.


CONCLUSIONS
This report highlights the importance of excluding such uncommon causes of post-transplantation liver dysfunction, especially when either the recipient or the donor comes from a region endemic for malaria.
Pandey
Durgatosh
D
Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation, Asian Centre for Liver Diseases and Transplantation, Gleneagles Hospital, Singapore. durgatosh@gmail.com
Lee
Kan-Hoe
KH
Wong
Sin-Yew
SY
Tan
Kai-Chah
KC
D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019520:Living Donors; D008288:Malaria / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010966:Plasmodium vivax / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000637:Transaminases / Q000097:blood; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D000637:Transaminases