Reversible myelopathy in Plasmodium vivax malaria: report of a case and review of literature

• Published in: Journal of vector borne diseases Vol. 50; no. 3; pp. 236 - 238
• Main Authors: Goswami, Rudra P, Goswami, Rama P, Mondal, Sumantro, Sinha, Debanjali, Mandal, Swati, Mondal, Rajib, Dev, Animesh, Pal, Jyotirmoy, Ghosh, Alakendu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd 01.09.2013; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd; Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
• Subjects: Adult; Animals; Antimalarials - administration & dosage; Care and treatment; Case studies; Chloroquine - administration & dosage; Diagnosis; Diagnosis, Differential; Fever complications; India; myelopathy; Plasmodium vivax; Health aspects; Humans; India; Infections; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Malaria; Malaria, Vivax - complications; Malaria, Vivax - diagnostic imaging; Malaria, Vivax - drug therapy; Male; Medical research; Mortality; Myelography; Paraparesis, Tropical spastic; Patient outcomes; Plasmodium vivax; Plasmodium vivax - isolation & purification; Primaquine - administration & dosage; Risk factors; Spinal Cord Diseases - diagnosis; Spinal Cord Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Spinal Cord Diseases - drug therapy; Spinal Cord Diseases - etiology; India
• ISSN: 0972-9062; 0972-9062
• DOI: 10.4103/0972-9062.120925

Neurological examination revealed: increased muscle tone with difficulties in passive movement and 2/5 grade muscle power in both lower limbs; loss of pain, tempera- ture and pressure (mild degree) sensations below the umbilicus suggestive of lateral and ventral spinothalamic tract involvement. In 2009, Sharma and Khanduri4 from Delhi, India demonstrated that thrombocytopenia, hepatic dysfunction, renal damage, positive direct Coomb's test and acute res- piratory distress syndrome (ARDS) were associated with vivax malaria, but none of the 221 vivax malaria patients developed any neurological complications4.