Review Article: Morphological Changes in Malaria

Abstract

Malaria remains a global health problem. Several organs of the body are affected by the Plasmodium species which parasitized erythrocytes. The small blood vessels of all the major organs of the body are usually filled with parasitized red cells and this represents the major morphological changes seen in malaria. Other common findings include hyperaemia and congestion and deposition of haemozoin at various sites in these organs and scattered small haemorrhages in various organs of the body. More organ-specific findings include fatty infiltration of the liver, hyaline membrane formation in the lungs, fatty degeneration of myofibrils and brown atrophy in the heart and “Durck” granuloma in the brain. This is a review of the various morphological changes seen in malaria.

Key words: Morphological changes, Malaria

Afr. J. Clin. Exper. Microbiol. 2005; 6(2): 125-127