Background: The clinical presentation of cerebral malaria in children in the highlands has not been documented.
Objective: To describe the presentation of cerebral malaria in the age group one to twelve years.
Design: Prospective study conducted from May to September 1997, the rainy season during which malaria occurs in epidemics in the highlands of Kenya.
Setting: Paediatric wards of the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret which is the Teaching Hospital for Moi University and the referral centre for surrounding districts of Western Kenya, with an altitude of over 2000 metres above sea level.
Patients: Twenty three consecutive children aged one to twelve years with cerebral malaria as defined by the WHO were studied. All children were treated with the standard quinine regimen for cerebral malaria.
Results: Majority of the children were six to ten years of age with 95.7% having a normal weight for age. 91.3%, 89.5% and 72.2% had fever, headache and convulsions respectively. 68.1% had a short duration of illness (less than three days) with only 9.5% presenting with hypoglycaemia. Severe anaemia was not observed but 72% had mild to moderate anaemia. Hyperparasitaemia (parasite counts greater than 100,000 per microlitre) was found in majority of the cases.
Conclusion: Cerebral malaria presentation in the highlands is similar to that among non-immune populations and is an acute fulminant illness presenting with coma, hyperparasitaemia, fever and convulsions in children with normal nutritional status.