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. 2016 Aug 30;4(3):2324709616666567.
doi: 10.1177/2324709616666567. eCollection 2016 Jul-Sep.

Spontaneous Subdural Empyema Following a High-Parasitemia Falciparum Infection in a 58-Year-Old Female From a Malaria-Endemic Region: A Case Report

Pedro Pallangyo  1 , Frederick Lyimo  2 , Paulina Nicholaus  1 , Ulimbakisya Kain  1 , Mohamed Janabi  1
Affiliations

Spontaneous Subdural Empyema Following a High-Parasitemia Falciparum Infection in a 58-Year-Old Female From a Malaria-Endemic Region: A Case Report

Pedro Pallangyo et al. J Investig Med High Impact Case Rep. .

Abstract

Malaria remains a significant public health problem of the tropical world. Falciparum malaria is most prevalent in the sub-Saharan African region, which harbors about 90% of all malaria cases and fatalities globally. Infection by the falciparum species often manifests with a spectrum of multi-organ complications (eg, cerebral malaria), some of which are life-threatening. Spontaneous subdural empyema is a very rare complication of cerebral malaria that portends a very poor prognosis unless diagnosed and treated promptly. We report a case of spontaneous subdural empyema in a 58-year-old woman from Tanzania who presented with high-grade fever, decreased urine output, and altered sensorium.

Keywords: Plasmodium falciparum; cerebral malaria; falciparum malaria; severe malaria; spontaneous subdural empyema; sub-Saharan Africa.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Brain MRI (T1W and T2W) showing bilaterally thin but widely spread subdural collection in the frontoparietal region.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Brain MRI (T1+ C) showing bilaterally thin but widely spread subdural collection with peripheral meningeal enhancement in the frontoparietal region. Leptomeningeal enhancement is also seen.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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