Ocular malaria. A clinical and histopathologic study

Clinical and histopathologic findings of ocular lesions in malaria rarely have been described. This study reports lesions in three patients with malaria, with a histopathologic study of eyes obtained at autopsy of one of these patients.

Various ocular lesions were documented in three patients with malarial infection, with histopathologic study of one patient. In all three patients, the diagnosis of malaria was confirmed by the demonstration of malarial parasites in peripheral smears and by fluorescent microscopy of acridine orange-stained buffy coat preparations of venous blood.

Multiple superficial blotchy retinal hemorrhages over the posterior pole were seen in the first patient, whereas acute bilateral panuveitis and secondary glaucoma were seen in the second, which on resolution showed multiple blotchy superficial retinal hemorrhages with perivasculitis. The third patient had cerebral malaria and was found to have subconjunctival and retinal hemorrhages. This patient died of pulmonary thromboembolism, and the eyes were obtained at autopsy. On gross examination, there were multiple retinal hemorrhages in the posterior pole. Histopathologic study showed cytoadherence of parasitized erythrocytes as well as schizonts and gametocytes of Plasmodium vivax within the retinal and choroidal blood vessels.

The authors' findings suggest that patients with unexplained blotchy retinal hemorrhages should be investigated for malarial infection, especially if they reside or have travelled in endemic areas.