Author(s): Duque, V ; Seixas, D ; Ventura, C ; Saraiva da Cunha, JG ; Meliço-Silvestre, A
Date: 2012
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.4/1348
Origin: Repositório do Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra
Subject(s): Ataxia Cerebelar; Malaria Cerebral
We describe the case of a 14-year-old Caucasian male, a resident in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who was observed in Portugal with severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria with high-level parasitemia and severe thrombocytopenia. The course was complicated by bilateral sixth cranial nerve palsy during acute malaria, followed by the appearance of delayed cerebellar ataxia during the recovery phase. This occurred after successful treatment with quinine plus doxycycline over seven days. Different levels of thrombocytopenia and C-reactive protein were observed during both neurologic events in the presence of HRP-2 positive tests for Plasmodium falciparum antigen. The patient recovered completely after three months.
