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Malaria and encephalopathy in a heart transplant recipient: A case report in the context of multiorgan donation
Author(s) -
Vernaza Armando,
PinillaMonsalve Gabriel,
Cañas Felipe,
Carrillo Diana,
David López Juan,
Flórez Noel,
GomezMesa Juan Esteban
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
transplant infectious disease
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.69
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1399-3062
pISSN - 1398-2273
DOI - 10.1111/tid.13565
Subject(s) - medicine , primaquine , malaria , cephalalgia , artesunate , transplantation , heart transplantation , context (archaeology) , quinine , surgery , organ donation , intensive care medicine , chloroquine , pediatrics , plasmodium falciparum , immunology , paleontology , migraine , biology
Malaria is an endemic infection in tropical circles. It can be transmitted from mosquitoes bite, but exceptional cases have been attributed to multiorgan transplantation. Case report This is a 34‐year‐old woman who received a heart transplant for final‐stage dilated cardiomyopathy. Over the hospitalization, she developed fever, cephalalgia, and tonic‐clonic seizures with MRI findings compatible with posterior reversible encephalopathy. A thick blood smear revealed hemoparasitic forms of Plasmodium vivax . Afterward, malaria was also diagnosed in recipients of one kidney and liver of the same organ donor. First‐line treatment with artesunate was prescribed for 3 days and chloroquine with primaquine thereafter for 14 days. The patient was discharged and returned to the emergency department 5 days later, complaining of gastrointestinal symptoms and developed multiorgan failure that led to death. Conclusion We report a case of malaria transmission through heart transplantation. Despite adequate and supervised treatment, it can be related to a fatal outcome. Malaria screening in organ donors should be considered in regions where endemicity can lead to rare cases of transmission by transplantation.