Malaria after chemotherapy for hematological malignancies.

Abstract

The treatment of cancer, whether a solid tumor or a malignant hemopathy, is accompanied by bouts of infection, the severity and prognosis of which are often correlated to the patient's immune status. In Gabon, where the transmission of Plasmodium falciparum malaria is perennial, the prevalence - around 36% in Libreville - increases in older children and adults. Few authors have described the involvement of this parasite during fever after chemotherapy for hematological malignancies. This work reports three cases of malaria including two severe and one with neutropenia occurring in patients treated for hematological neoplasms.