Ocular Pathology of Cerebral Malaria

Investigation of post-mortem eyes from children with malarial retinopathy has helped to explain the retinal pathology of cerebral malaria, and also demonstrated histological associations between evolving retinal pathogenesis-visible clinically-and similar cerebral features which can only be examined at autopsy. The pathology of malarial retinopathy has been well-described and correlates with brain pathology. Some clinical and pathological features are associated with outcome. This chapter describes the materials and methods needed to study the pathological features of malarial retinopathy. Some are common to histopathology in general, but accurate spatial correlation between retinal features observed in life and their associated pathology in post-mortem specimens requires special techniques.