Vivax Malaria Presenting with Myelitis:
A Rare Complication
Published: May 1, 2013 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2013/.2974
Avijit Moulick, Somnath Maitra, Biswanath Sharma Sarkar,
Anirban Jana, Sujoy Sarkar
1. Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine,
Calcutta National Medical College, Kolkata, India.
2. RMO-cum-Clinical Tutor, Department of Medicine,
Calcutta National Medical College, Kolkata, India.
3. Associate Professor, Department of Medicine,
Bankura Sammilani Medical College,
West Bengal, India.
4. Senior Resident, Department of Medicine,
Calcutta National Medical College, Kolkata, India.
5. Post graduate trainee, Department of Medicine,
Calcutta National Medical College, Kolkata, India.
Correspondence
Dr. Avijit Moulick,
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine,
Flat F2. 1/14 extn Chittaranjan Colony.
City: Kolkata, PIN/Zip, 700032
State: West Bengal. India.
Phone: 91-9943062385
E-mail: dramoulick@gmail.com
Neurological complications may occur with the Plasmodium falciparum infection. However, the association of neurological manifestations with vivax malaria remains doubtful. Of late, there are isolated case reports/studies which have implicated P. vivax in the pathogenesis of severe malaria which is characterized by the features of different organ dysfunctions, which were previously thought to be caused by P. falciparum alone. Though several case studies have mentioned the association of the P. vivax infection with cerebral malaria, a causal correlation has yet to be established. Dorsal cord myelitis (which leads to paraplegia) during the febrile illness, is rarely described in association with vivax malaria, though there are reports on the Post Malaria Neurological Syndrome (PMNS) and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis following vivax malaria. We are reporting a case of P. Vivax malaria which presented with myelitis, which responded well to the antimalarial treatment.
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