Unusual presentations of malaria in children: an experience from a tertiary care center in North East India.
OBJECTIVE
To identify cases of malaria with unusual presentations.


METHODS
The medical record of all the cases of malaria admitted to PICU and pediatric general ward from Oct 2006 to Sep 2009, were reviewed and cases with unusual presentations were identified. The study design was retrospective descriptive study.


RESULTS
Sixteen (10%) out of 162 malaria cases had unusual presentations - three had hemiplegia, two each with viral hepatitis-like presentation, acute abdomen, gastrointestinal bleed, generalized edema and hyperglycemia and one each with ptosis, severe headache and subacute intestinal obstruction-like presentation. Eleven cases had mixed parasitemia and two each with P. vivax and P. falciparum. One case was diagnosed on clinical grounds.


CONCLUSIONS
Malaria is a common disease, but both typical and atypical presentations deserve attention for early diagnosis and management.
Dass
Rashna
R
Department of Pediatric Disciplines, North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), Shillong, Meghalaya, India. rashnadass@rediffmail.com
Barman
Himesh
H
Duwarah
Saurabh Gohain
SG
Deka
Nayan Mani
NM
Jain
Pankaj
P
Choudhury
Vivek
V
D000006:Abdomen, Acute / Q000469:parasitology; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003906:Developing Countries; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D004487:Edema / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000469:parasitology; D006261:Headache / Q000469:parasitology; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000469:parasitology; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000469:parasitology; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000469:parasitology; D007194:India; D007223:Infant; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000469:parasitology; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010966:Plasmodium vivax / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012189:Retrospective Studies