Korean J Parasitol.  2015 Apr;53(2):215-218. 10.3347/kjp.2015.53.2.215.

Spontaneous Splenic Rupture in a Vivax Malaria Case Treated with Transcatheter Coil Embolization of the Splenic Artery

• Kim NH
• Lee KH
• Jeon YS
• Cho SG
• Kim JH

• KMID: 2381819
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2015.53.2.215

Abstract

An enlarged spleen is considered one of the most common signs of malaria, and splenic rupture rarely occurs as an important life-threatening complication. Splenectomy has been recommended as the treatment of choice for hemodynamically unstable patients. However, a very limited number of splenic rupture patients have been treated with transcatheter coil embolization. Here we report a 38-year-old Korean vivax malaria patient with ruptured spleen who was treated successfully by embolization of the splenic artery. The present study showed that angiographic embolization of the splenic artery may be an appropriate option to avoid perioperative harmful effects of splenectomy in malaria patients.

Keyword

Plasmodium vivax; malaria; spleen; spontaneous rupture; coil embolization

MeSH Terms

Adult
Embolization, Therapeutic
Humans
Malaria, Vivax/*complications
Male
Splenic Artery/*surgery
Splenic Rupture/etiology/*surgery