QUESTION

I live in Nigeria. Good friend of mine complained of headaches in Dec 2011. Did an MRI went to Germany had a general check up. Back in Nigeria in January, headaches increase, she gets blind in one eye, following day the other eye, now in Germany where they have induced her into a coma. They said that she got a brain Haemorrage from the malaria. Can malaria bring blindness. What are the chances of surviving and getting back eyesight.

ANSWER

Although rare, brain hemorrhage is sometimes associated with severe cerebral malaria (caused by infection with Plasmodium falciparum, the most deadly form of malaria). This bleeding in the brain could cause blindness—whether the visual impairment is permanent or not depends on the extent of the bleeding and how much damage it caused.

I have found one case in the literature where severe malaria caused a brain hemorrhage which resulted in permanent blindness, and the authors report their case is only the second they have heard of, so this is rare indeed. Similarly, her survival will depend on how well she responds to treatment, which will likely be intravenous quinine, at least at first. Given that she is in Germany, where health care is excellent, I would say her chances are as good as they would be anywhere else in the world. I hope she makes a full and swift recovery!