Diagnosis of Plasmodium vivax malaria complicated by abnormal neurological imaging

The number of patients presenting with malaria in the United States has increased. This is attributable to the growing ease and popularity of overseas travel. We present a 41-year-old man diagnosed with Plasmodium vivax malaria after a 9-month symptom-free interval following return from an endemic area. The clinical picture was complicated by the results of neurological imaging that proved to be incidental and unrelated findings. Unfortunately, there are no pathognomonic signs or symptoms of malaria. The presenting complaints are often nonspecific and may be associated with a broad differential diagnosis. Thus, physicians must have a high index of suspicion and elicit a complete travel history to arrive at the correct diagnosis.