Splenic Infarction Caused by Vivax Malaria

Splenic infarction caused by malaria is a rare complication and this is mostly caused by plasmodium falciparum. We report here on a 38 year-old female patient who developed symptomatic splenic infarction that was caused by vivax malaria. She presented with fever and left upper quadrant pain. Computed tomography showed multiple low density areas in the spleen, and the peripheral blood smear revealed plasmodium vivax infestation. We examined for other causes of splenic infarction, but all were negative. This is just the second report of symptomatic splenic infarction that was caused by vivax malaria only. Unlike the previous case, the levels of D-dimer and fibrinogen degradation factor were elevated. This may be related with the hypercoagulable state caused by malaria. Treatment was conservative and the further course was uneventful.

Treatment of Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformation Using Platinum Coils: Case Report

Pulmonary arteriovenous malformation (PAVM) is an abnormal direct communication between the pulmonary arteries and veins without any capillary network. The patients may be completely asymptomatic or may they develop serious complications including hemoptysis and brain abscess. We present here a case of incidentally found PAVM in a 33-year-old male who underwent embolization using platinum coils. Coil embolization is a safe, highly effective procedure that should be considered more often for the treatment of PAVM.