Acute Acalculous Cholecystitis Associated with Severe Malaria – A Case Report

Main Article Content

Teresa Oliveira
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6476-0656
Ana Clara Dinis
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9781-2405
Sofia Narciso
https://orcid.org/0009-0005-4419-9538
Tiago Pereira
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4262-1310
Nuno Catorze
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1975-3438

Abstract

We present the case of a 29-year-old male diagnosed with severe malaria admitted to the Intensive Care Medicine Service. While undergoing treatment with quinine dihydrochloride and doxycycline, he developed an acute case of acalculous cholecystitis on the fourth day. Conservative treatment with antibiotic therapy was performed, and the patient showed favorable progression. Gastrointestinal complications associated with malaria are common; however, acute acalculous cholecystitis linked to malaria is an extremely rare complication, scarcely described in the literature, and its evolution can be catastrophic.

Article Details

How to Cite
Oliveira, T., Dinis, A. C., Narciso, S., Pereira, T., & Catorze, N. (2025). Acute Acalculous Cholecystitis Associated with Severe Malaria – A Case Report. Brazilian Journal of Case Reports, 5(1), bjcr52. https://doi.org/10.52600/2763-583X.bjcr.2025.5.1.bjcr52
Section
Clinical Case Reports
Author Biographies

Teresa Oliveira, Intensive Care Medicine Service, Médio Tejo Local Health Unit

Intensive Care Medicine Service, Médio Tejo Local Health Unit, Abrantes, Portugal.

Ana Clara Dinis, Internal Medicine Department, Médio Tejo Local Health Unit

Internal Medicine Department, Médio Tejo Local Health Unit, Abrantes, Portugal.

Sofia Narciso, Intensive Care Medicine Service, Médio Tejo Local Health Unit

Intensive Care Medicine Service, Médio Tejo Local Health Unit, Abrantes, Portugal.

Tiago Pereira, Intensive Care Medicine Service, Médio Tejo Local Health Unit

Intensive Care Medicine Service, Médio Tejo Local Health Unit, Abrantes, Portugal.

Nuno Catorze, Intensive Care Medicine Service, Médio Tejo Local Health Unit

Intensive Care Medicine Service, Médio Tejo Local Health Unit, Abrantes, Portugal.

References

Freixinet JL, Caminero JA, Marchena J, Rodríguez PM, Casimiro JA, Hussein M. Spontaneous pneumothorax and tuberculosis: long-term follow-up. Eur Respir J. 2011;38(1):126-131. doi:10.1183/09031936.00128910. PMID: 20947681. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20947681/

Kalliafas S, Ziegler DW, Flancbaum L, Choban PS. Acute acalculous cholecystitis: incidence, risk factors, diagnosis and out-come. Am Surg. 1998;64:471-5.

Owen CC, Jain R. Acute acalculous cholecystitis. Curr Treat Options Gastroenterol. 2005;8:99-104.

Abreu C, Santos L, Poínhos R, Sarmento A. Acute acalculous cholecystitis in malaria: a review of seven cases from an adult cohort. Infection. 2013;41(4):821-826. doi:10.1007/s15010-013-0452-9.

World Health Organization. Guidelines for the treatment of Malaria. Geneva: WHO; 2006.

Aguilera-Alonso D, López Medina EM, Del Rosal T, Villota Arrieta J, Escosa-García L, García-Hortelano M. Acalculous cho-lecystitis in a pediatric patient with Plasmodium falciparum infection: a case report and literature review. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2018 Feb;37(2):e43-e45. doi:10.1097/INF.0000000000001734. PMID: 28787387.

Harris EF, Younger E, Llewelyn MB. Acalculous cholecystitis occurring in the context of Plasmodium malariae infection: a case report. J Med Case Rep. 2013 Jul 26;7:197. doi:10.1186/1752-1947-7-197. PMID: 23889828; PMCID: PMC3750288.

Carvalho D, Azevedo C, Coelho R, Ferreira A, Figueiredo P, Santos L, Sarmento A. Colecistite aguda alitiásica num doente com malária grave [Acute acalculous cholecystitis in a patient with severe malaria]. Acta Med Port. 2011 Dec;24 Suppl 3:631-4. Portuguese. Epub 2011 Dec 31. PMID: 22856401.

Curley JM, Mody RM, Gasser RA Jr. Malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax complicated by acalculous cholecystitis. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2011 Jul;85(1):42-9. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2011.10-0724. PMID: 21734122; PMCID: PMC3122341.

Khan FY, El-Hiday AH. Acute acalculous cholecystitis complicating an imported case of mixed malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. Int J Infect Dis. 2010 Sep;14 Suppl 3:e217-9. doi:10.1016/j.ijid.2009.07.018. Epub 2009 Nov 20. PMID: 19932042.

World Health Organization. Malaria. World Health Organization. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malaria. Accessed 2024 Dec 25.

Chimuco KS. A doença falciforme como factor protector contra a Malária. Revista Angolana De Ciências Da Saúde / Angolan Journal Of Health Sciences. 2023;3(2):4-9. doi:10.54283/RACSaude.v3i2.2023.p4-9.

Shapiro MJ, Luchtefeld WB, Kurzurki JE. Acute acalculous cholecystitis in the critically ill. Am Surg. 1994;60:335-9.

Pelinka LE, Schimidhammer R, Hamid L, et al. Acute acalculous cholecystitis after trauma: a prospective study. J Trauma Injury Infect Crit Care. 2003;55:523-9.