Related Experiment Videos
[Transfusion malaria in promyelocytic leukemia]
H Shunkert1, S Handt, M de Wit
1Abteilung Innere Medizin II, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen.
Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift (1946)
|November 25, 1988
Summary
A patient with promyelocytic leukaemia developed Falciparum malaria after blood product transfusions. Prompt treatment with antimalarials led to a full recovery from the infection.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Infectious Diseases
- Transfusion Medicine
Background:
- Promyelocytic leukemia (APL) requires intensive treatment, often involving blood product transfusions.
- Patients undergoing chemotherapy are immunocompromised, increasing susceptibility to infections.
- Transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) remain a concern in hematology patients.
Observation:
- A 34-year-old woman with APL in remission presented with fever, hemolytic anemia, and thrombocytopenia.
- Physical examination was unremarkable, but blood smear revealed Plasmodium falciparum.
- Reduced creatinine clearance was also noted.
Findings:
- The patient's symptoms were likely due to a transfusion-transmitted Plasmodium falciparum infection.
- Blood product infusions for leukemia treatment were identified as the probable source.
- Treatment with chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine resolved the malaria infection.
Implications:
- Highlights the risk of transfusion-transmitted malaria in endemic or non-endemic areas.
- Underscores the importance of screening blood products for infectious agents, especially in vulnerable patient populations.
- Emphasizes the need for vigilance in diagnosing infections in immunocompromised patients with hematologic malignancies.