Title: To study the Incidence of Retinopathy in Cerebral and Non-cerebral Malaria and its Relationship with them
Authors: Dr Puneet Agrawal, Dr Jyoti Singh, Dr Sujata Lakhtakia
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v6i2.141
Abstract
Objective: To assess the incidence of retinopathy in cerebral malaria and non-cerebral malaria and to study the relationship of retinopathy with cerebral and non-cerebral malaria
Design: Prospective, observational, cohort study, comprising of all malaria positive patients.
Setting: Department of Pediatrics, S.S.M.C and associated G.M. Hospital Rewa, Madhya Pradesh during the period of 1st August 2015 to 31st July 2016.
Participants: 100 consecutive patients with cerebral malaria and 100 patients with non-cerebral malaria were included in the study. All 200 cases were malaria positive. All children were evaluated by ophthalmologist for changes of retinopathy
Main Outcome Measure(s): Retinopathic changes and its correlation with mortality and duration of hospitalisation.
Results: Retinopathy was present in 41% of children in cerebral malaria group (malaria positive with encephalopathy) and 7% in non-cerebral malaria group (malaria positive without encephalopathy) indicating that incidence of retinopathy was significantly higher in Cerebral malaria than in Non-cerebral malaria.
Conclusions: Retinopathy is a significant finding associated with cerebral malaria hence retinopathy can be used as diagnostic tool to differentiate cerebral malaria from non-cerebral malaria. Presence of retinopathy in malaria can be used as a marker of serious disease and as an indication for early up-referral.
Keywords: Malaria, Cerebral Malaria, Retinopathy, Febrile encephalopathy.
