Malaria-Induced Splenic Infarction

Splenic infarction is a rare complication of malaria. We report two recent cases of splenic infarction after Plasmodium vivax infection. No systematic review of malaria-induced splenic infarction was available, therefore we conducted a systematic review of the English, French, and Spanish literature in PubMed and KoreaMed for reports of malaria-associated splenic infarction from 1960 to 2012. Of the 40 cases collected on splenic infarction by Plasmodium species, 23 involved P. vivax, 11 Plasmodium falciparum, one Plasmodium ovale, and five a mixed infection of P. vivax and P. falciparum. Of the 40 cases, 2 (5.0%) involved splenectomy and 5 (12.5%) were accompanied by splenic rupture. The median time from symptom onset to diagnosis was 8.5 days (range, 3-90 days). Improved findings after treatment were observed in 8 (88.9%) of 9 patients with splenic infarction on follow-up by computed tomography or ultrasonography. All patients survived after treatment with the exception of one patient with cerebral malaria. Clinicians should consider the possibility of splenic infarction when malaria-infected patients have left upper quadrant pain.