A case series of splenic infarction during acute malaria in northwest Rajasthan, India.
Malaria is a rare cause of splenic infarction. Only a few cases have been reported worldwide, mostly associated with Plasmodium falciparum infection. Here we report a series of four acute malaria patients with splenic infarction, two with P. vivax infection, one with P. falciparum and one with a mixed infection (P. vivax and P. falciparum). This small case series suggests that if a patient with malaria is complaining of left upper quadrant abdominal pain, pleuritic left lower chest pain and/or enlarging tender splenomegaly during treatment, splenic infarct should be suspected and managed accordingly to avoid further life-threatening complications.
Gupta
B K
BK
Department of Medicine, S.P. Medical College, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India. bkgbkn@rediffmail.com
Sharma
Kapil
K
Nayak
K C
KC
Agrawal
T D
TD
Binani
Anand
A
Purohit
V P
VP
Kochar
D K
DK
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000150:complications*; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010966:Plasmodium vivax / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013159:Splenic Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D055815:Young Adult