Macrophage activation syndrome in a patient affected by Plasmodium falciparum Aeroport malaria

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Published Jun 24, 2019
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Vol. 97 No. 2 (2019): Issue Feb 2019

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Fatma Cheikhrouhou
Rania Ammar
Samar Bellili
Ines Jdidi
Mabrouk Bahloul
Ali Ayadi
Mounir Bouaziz

Abstract

Abstract: Malaria is a worldwide problem. Infection with Plasmodium. falciparum that may cause a multi-organ-failure, especially if the diagnose wasn’t at time. Macrophage activation syndrome is a clinical and biological syndrome caused by an excessive proliferation of T lymphocytes. Plasmodium falciparum infection was rarely reported as a cause of this syndrome reported in the literature. We report a case of severe airport malaria in a 62-year-old man complicated by Macrophage activation syndrome. The patient was treated with intravenous quinine for 7days, catecholamine, volume expansion, mechanical ventilation, sedation and dialysis. But the evolution was marked by a multi-organ failure leading to the death of the patient.
The occurrence of airport malaria stresses the need for sensitization of clinicians for considering malaria in febrile individuals even when they have not traveled to an endemic area. Clinicians should be aware of Macrophage activation syndrome when malaria does not respond to conventional therapy, since early diagnosis and prompt treatment may dramatically reduce the mortality associated with this condition.

Keywords:

Airport malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, macrophage activation syndrome, intensive care unit

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