Delayed cerebellar ataxia, A rare post-malaria neurological complication: Case report and review of the literature

Veronika Muigg; Marion Irmgard Maier; Esther Kuenzli; Andreas Neumayr

doi:10.1016/j.tmaid.2021.102177

Delayed cerebellar ataxia, A rare post-malaria neurological complication: Case report and review of the literature

Travel Med Infect Dis. 2021 Nov-Dec:44:102177. doi: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2021.102177. Epub 2021 Oct 21.

Authors

Veronika Muigg¹, Marion Irmgard Maier², Esther Kuenzli³, Andreas Neumayr⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. Electronic address: veronika.muigg@usb.ch.
² Department of Medicine, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. Electronic address: m.i.maier@web.de.
³ Department of Medicine, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. Electronic address: esther.kuenzli@swisstph.ch.
⁴ Department of Medicine, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. Electronic address: andreas.neumayr@swisstph.ch.

PMID: 34687871
DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2021.102177

Abstract

Delayed cerebellar ataxia (DCA) is a rare post-malarial neurological complication with unknown pathomechanism characterized by its self-limiting course and favorable outcome. We report a case of DCA following an uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum infection in a 30-year old Swiss traveler returning from Cameroon and discuss the case in light of the published literature.

Keywords: Neurological syndrome; Post-infectious; Post-malarial.

Publication types

Case Reports
Review

MeSH terms

Adult
Cerebellar Ataxia* / etiology
Humans
Malaria*
Malaria, Falciparum* / complications
Malaria, Falciparum* / drug therapy
Medical History Taking
Nervous System Diseases*
Plasmodium falciparum