A-5 year review of cerebral malaria in nigerian children.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Cerebral malaria is thought to be common in the under fives in a malaria holoendemic region like ours. But we are recently seeing cases of cerebral malaria in children older than 5 years. This study was carried out to determine the Morbidity And Mortality Pattern Of Cerebral Malaria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective review of cases of cerebral malaria seen over a five-year period (1999-2003) at the Paediatrics Department of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex Ile-Ife. All case notes of patients admitted with a diagnosis of cerebral malaria were retrieved and relevant data extracted to a standard form. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty four (154) patients were managed as cerebral malaria, out of a total of 5,456 admissions over this period. Eighteen were aged less than one year, 128 were aged 1-5 years while eight were aged >5 years. Eight of the 154 patients died (5.2%). However 16 (10.3%) had various neurological deficits at discharge. CONCLUSION: Cerebral malaria is still a major complication of malaria in our practice and it is no longer a problem of under-five children alone.