title: Malaria after living donor liver transplantation: report of two cases.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation, Asian Centre for Liver Diseases and Transplantation, Gleneagles Hospital, Singapore. durgatosh@gmail.com
authors.forename: Durgatosh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pandey
authors.forename: Kan-Hoe
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sin-Yew
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Kai-Chah
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Tan
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D000637:Transaminases