Severe malaria in immigrant haematological patient

• Main Authors: R. Vázquez-Sánchez, M.E. Martínez-Núñez, T. Molina-García
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2015-01-01
• Series: IDCases
• Subjects: Malaria; Falciparum; Leukaemia; Immigrant
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214250915000189

Severe malaria is a life-threatening condition caused by Plasmodium falciparum. Rupture of red blood cells when merozoites release to the bloodstream is responsible for the clinical manifestations, febrile fever reaching 39 °C, and other unspecific symptoms. P. falciparum is considered as the worst form of malaria. Moreover, this species has cytoadherence to red blood cells. This can lead to an organic dysfunction. People coming from hyper endemic areas have developed a partial immunity, but immunodepressed people are a group with a greater risk. Due to the high mortality rate associated to this disease, early diagnosis and a prompt treatment implementation are essential. However, the missed or delayed diagnosis is one of the major reasons of reaching a severe malaria disease. This case reflects the complexity of the diagnosis in an immigrant and immunodepressed patient with a haematological neoplasm with a severe infection by P. falciparum due to the unspecified symptoms and the overlapping of the same.