A case series of splenic infarction during acute malaria in northwest Rajasthan, India

Malaria is a rare cause of splenic infarction. Only a few cases have been reported worldwide, mostly associated with Plasmodium falciparum infection. Here we report a series of four acute malaria patients with splenic infarction, two with P. vivax infection, one with P. falciparum and one with a mixed infection (P. vivax and A falciparum). This small case series suggests that if a patient with malaria is complaining of left upper quadrant abdominal pain, pleuritic left lower chest pain and/or enlarging tender spienomegaly during treatment, splenic infarct should be Suspected and managed accordingly to avoid further life-threatening complications. (c) 2009 Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.