Neurologic sequelae after severe falciparum malaria in adult travelers

Severe falciparum malaria usually occurs in nonimmune patients, namely chil dren in endemic areas or travelers returning from tropical areas. It genera lly has one of two outcomes: rapid death or cure without sequelae. Neurolog ic sequelae have been reported in children but have not been described in d etail in adults. The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical sp ectrum, neuroimaging aspects and long-term outcome of these sequelae. We de scribe six imported cases of severe malaria with neurologic sequelae in adu lts, seen in a Parisian university hospital over a 10-year period. The most striking findings were neuropsychological disorders, in particular memory impairment and diffuse white matter damage on magnetic resonance imaging. O nly three of the patients had made a full recovery after 6 months. Copyrigh t (C) 2001 S, Karger AG, Basel.