A Case of Cerebral Malaria Associated with Renal Failure due to Plasmodium falciparum / 대한임상병리학회지

ABSTRACT

In recent years, the incidence of imported cases infested with Plasmodium falciparum has been increasing in Korea due to marked increase in travel to malarious area without adequate prophylaxis. Cerebral malaria is an encephalopathy, occasionally associated with infestation of P. falciparum, which can complicate some patients infected with Plasmodium falciparum leading to significant mortality. We experienced a case of 45 year-ld male with cerebral malaria, complicated with disseminated intravascular coagulation and acute renal failure. The patient was thought to be infected in travel to Indonesia, Laos, and Bangkok. Blood smear showed typical multiple intra-rythrocytic ring form trophozoites and banana-haped gametocytes of Plasmodium falciparum. The patient died after comatose state with respiration failure for 24 days despite treatment with exchange transfusion, hemodialysis and chemotherapy. We report this case with a review of the literature.