[Manifestation of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency caused by primaquine in malaria therapy]

This is a report about a 9 year old turkish boy suffering from recurrent episodes of high fever caused by Plasmodium vivax-infection (Malaria tertiana), 12 months after returning from his malarious homeland. After a 3-day course of Chloroquin, we administrated Primaquin to eliminate residual extraerythrocyte forms of Plasmodium vivax. On the 7th day of treatment acute haemolysis developped. This was caused by Glucose-6-Phosphate-Dehydrogenase-Deficiency, which could be demonstrated by a red-cell-enzyme analysis. The investigation of the patient's whole family showed the typical recessive X-linked inheritance of this enzyme-defect. Frequency and clinical manifestations of this defect are discussed.