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Case Reports
. 2018 Apr 2;17(1):139.
doi: 10.1186/s12936-018-2289-2.

Severe Plasmodium ovale malaria complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome in a young Caucasian man

Alessandra D'Abramo  1 , Saba Gebremeskel Tekle  2 , Marco Iannetta  1 , Laura Scorzolini  1 , Alessandra Oliva  1 , Maria Grazia Paglia  1 , Angela Corpolongo  1 , Emanuele Nicastri  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Severe Plasmodium ovale malaria complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome in a young Caucasian man

Alessandra D'Abramo et al. Malar J. .

Abstract

Background: Although Plasmodium ovale is considered the cause of only mild malaria, a case of severe malaria due to P. ovale with acute respiratory distress syndrome is reported.

Case presentation: A 37-year old Caucasian man returning home from Angola was admitted for ovale malaria to the National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani in Rome, Italy. Two days after initiation of oral chloroquine treatment, an acute respiratory distress syndrome was diagnosed through chest X-ray and chest CT scan with intravenous contrast. Intravenous artesunate and oral doxycycline were started and he made a full recovery.

Conclusion: Ovale malaria is usually considered a tropical infectious disease associated with low morbidity and mortality. However, severe disease and death have occasionally been reported. In this case clinical failure of oral chloroquine treatment with clinical progression towards acute respiratory distress syndrome is described.

Keywords: ARDS; Chloroquine failure; Malaria; Plasmodium ovale.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Chest X-ray before (a) and after (b) malaria Plasmodium ovale disease. a Chest X-ray showed interstitial bilateral pneumonia; b unremarkable results during the follow-up visit after 2 months
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Chest computed tomography during malaria Plasmodium ovale disease. Chest computed tomography showed interstitial bilateral pneumonia with consensual pleural effusion
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Timeline parasitemia. Parasite clearance was achieved after the introduction of intravenous artesunate
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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