Infect Chemother.  2008 Jun;40(3):179-183. 10.3947/ic.2008.40.3.179.

Two Cases of Vivax Malaria Accompanied by Splenic Complications (such as splenic rupture and splenic infarction)

• Jung EJ
• Choo EJ
• Kim TH
• Jeon MH
• Lee EJ
• Cho YS
• Lee HY
• Kim JY

• KMID: 1782293
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2008.40.3.179

Abstract

Malaria is a protozoan disease transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes. Since Plasmodium vivax malaria reemerged in the north west areas of South Korea in 1993, many cases with various manifestations have been reported. Clinicians should be aware of the rare and severe complications as well as the common complications. Splenic complications such as hematoma formation, rupture, torsion, cyst formation, and infarction are unusual manifestations of tertian malaria; therefore, we present two cases of P. vivax malaria with severe splenic complications with review of literature. One had a splenic infarction and the other had a splenic rupture, which was diagnosed by computed tomography. Both patients were successfully treated with a conservative approach.

Keyword

Plasmodium vivax; Splenic infarction; Splenic rupture

MeSH Terms

Anopheles
Culicidae
Hematoma
Humans
Infarction
Malaria
Malaria, Vivax
Plasmodium vivax
Republic of Korea
Rupture
Splenic Infarction
Splenic Rupture

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Abdominal CT on (A) day 3 and (B) day 9. Note the multiple areas of low attenuation density in the enlarged spleen (arrow) (A). The lesion and splenomegaly showed a partial (white arrow) or complete (black arrow) resolution (B).

• 

  Fig. 2 Abdominal CT showed the fluid/blood around enlarged spleen (A) and in left paracolic gutter (B) (arrow). Follow-up CT acquired 7 days after the initial CT demonstrates a partial improvement (C), (D).

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