Yusuf FH, et al. – Researchers here seek to assess insight into pathogenesis, complications and molecular biomarkers with regard to cerebral malaria. They recognize cerebral malaria as a medical emergency. It is associated with high mortality and patients who survive sustain brain injury which manifest as long–term neurocognitive impairments.

• Researchers recommend urgently treating all patients with Plasmodium falciparum malaria with neurologic manifestations of any degree as cases of cerebral malaria.
• Pathogenesis of cerebral malaria is due to damaged vascular endothelium by parasite sequestration, inflammatory cytokine production and vascular leakage, which result in brain hypoxia, as indicated by increased lactate and alanine concentrations.
• Diagnostic and prognostic markers included the levels of the biomarkers’ histidine–rich protein II, angiopoietin–Tie–2 system and plasma osteoprotegrin.
• Neuropathology around the caudate and putamen may be identified in brain imaging.