Haematological alterations in acute malaria

In a study of 30 patients with either Plasmodium or falciparum infection, 29 (97%) showed the presence of atypical lymphocytes in the peripheral blood film, 24 (80%) had thrombocytopenia and 17 (57%) had a mild to moderate anaemia. Bleeding was encountered in 2 patients without confirmatory evidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation.