Objective:

Review the common post-malaria neurological syndromes in the past 30 years of published studies.

Background:

Malaria was discovered more than 200 years ago. Multiple countries have eradicated the disease. Extensive therapies have been developed and used to control its symptoms and progression. Despite all the effort that has been made, Malaria is still considered the most devastating parasitic infection worldwide, and half of the population lives in an area at risk for infection. PMNS (post-malaria neurological syndrome) is within the spectrum of neurological manifestations of the disease and has been scarcely documented in the literature. 

Design/Methods:

 A systemic literature review was conducted using PUBMED, MEDLINE, and EMBASE. Keywords "post-malaria neurological syndrome" and "Cerebral malaria" to identify case reports published in the past thirty years describing the most common clinical presentations, treatment, and outcomes. 

Results:

 PMNS has an extensive spectrum of morbility, most commonly seen in complicated plasmodium falciparum cases. Cognitive and visual impairment are frequently described in the literature, although seizures, movement disorders, hyperactivity, monoparesis, and speech impairment are also documented. Other rare complications are GBS, cerebellar ataxia, and bilateral facial palsy. The most common psychiatric morbility includes conduct disorder and ADHD, and corticosteroids and IVIG are the most common therapy used. 

Conclusions:

Disability caused by post-cerebral malaria sequelae significantly impairs the quality of life in developing countries' patients who survive cerebral Malaria.