[Autochthonous Plasmodium falciparum malaria and the malarial liver]

When P. falciparum malaria is diagnosed in France in a patient who has not travelled to an endemic area, transmission by blood transfusion or direct contact with an infected person, and indigenous malaria should be considered. With reference to the observation reported in this paper, the manifestations of malarial hepatitis are recalled and their diagnostic significance is discussed. In P. falciparum malaria, malarial hepatitis indicates the development of a complete cycle including the pre-erythrocytic phase; this is strongly in support of indigenous malaria, and against malaria following blood transfusion or direct contact in which there is no pre-erythrocytic phase.