Sudden death due to cerebral malaria: a case report

Abstract

Malaria is generally diagnosed ante-mortem. Few post-mortem cases have been described in the literature. Post-mortem cases may present as sudden and unexpected deaths of young individuals rising suspicious of unnatural death, and may therefore be investigated by medical examiners. We present the case of a 24-year-old man who died a few days after returning from a trip to Mali (Africa). Death was attributed to cerebral malaria after a thorough post-mortem investigation. The pathological aspects underlying the fatal outcome are discussed.

Keywords: Cerebral malaria; Forensic pathology; Plasmodium falciparum; Sudden death.