Clinical Characteristics of Malaria in Korean Patients / 감염

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Vivax malaria has been a reemerging disease since 1993 in Korea, and the number of cases are rapidly increasing. Clinical manifestations of malaria are affected by genetic factors and individual patient's characteristics. In this study, we evaluated clinical manifestations and prognosis of malaria in Korean patients. METHODS: Medical records of the patients confirmed as malaria by peripheral blood smear in Asan Medical Center from June, 1989 to October, 1997 were reviewed retrospectively. The patients with vivax malaria and falciparum malaria were compared with respect to clinical manifestations, complications, and prognosis. We also compared our data to meta-analysis reports from western countries. RESULTS: Twenty-eight cases of malaria were included. The number of cases increased by year. Seventeen of them were diagnosed as vivax malaria, and 11 as falciparum malaria. Fifteen indigenous malaria were all vivax malaria, 9 of which had finished the military service in the border between North and South Korea several months before the onset. Eleven of 13 imported malaria were falciparum malaria, 8 of which were acquired in Africa. All 28 patients had fever, but cyclic pattern was shown only in 6 patients of vivax malaria. Hematologic abnormalities were the most common laboratory findings, and there were no significant differences in the frequency of thrombocytopenia, anemia, and leukopenia between vivax malaria and falciparum malaria. Altered mentality, elevated transaminase, total bilirubin, and serum creatinine were more frequent in falciparum malaria than in vivax malaria. Korean patients showed anemia, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, and elevation of transaminase more frequently than western patients. CONCLUSION: The number of malaria cases has been increasing by year. All Korean patients with malaria had fever, and the most common laboratory findings were thrombocytopenia, anemia, and leukopenia.