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T
he
November 6 issue of the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and
Hygiene has published the findings of a study conducted by the team
led by Nick Beare of the UK-based Royal Liverpool University
Hospital on the changes in the retina of children suffering from
cerebral malaria. The study involved 45 children admitted to
hospital in Blantyre, Malawi with cerebral malaria. The study found
that white opaque patches and whitened blood vessels on the retina
were unique signs of cerebral malaria; bleeding of the retina and
swelling of the optic nerve were the other signs observed. These
changes are attributed to the
cytoadherence and occlusion of blood
flow in the retina due to falciparum parasitemia. The presence of
these changes, identified with a simple ophthalmoscopic examination
of the eyes at the bed side, can help the treating doctors to
differentiate cerebral malaria from other causes of coma so
that appropriate treatment can be started immediately.
A
multi-centre study by researchers in Gabon, the Gambia, Ghana and
Kenya is planned to evaluate the findings further.
Source:
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Simple eye test can detect severe
malaria - Scidev.net [See]
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Simple eye test can detect severe
malaria - Newidpress.com [See]
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