TITLE:
Post‐Malaria Neurological Syndrome in a 10-Year-Old Girl: First Case Report from Oman with Review of the Literature
AUTHORS:
Nuha Altahir, Hilal Al-Hashami, Al Zahra Al Hashmi
KEYWORDS:
Malaria, Post-Malarial Neurological Syndrome
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Infectious Diseases,
Vol.16 No.4,
October
16,
2026
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Post-malaria neurological syndrome (PMNS) is a rare self-limiting neurological complication occurring after resolution from malarial infection; it is usually associated with, but not limited to, severe falciparum malaria. It is characterized by neuropsychiatric manifestations including mild neurological deficit to severe encephalopathy, with development of three main syndromes: delayed cerebellar syndrome, acute demyelinating polyneuropathy (GBS) and acute disseminated encephalopathy (ADEMs). We report a case of PMNS in a 10-year-old female child, and review the disease entity. Method: We searched PMNS-related journal articles and case reports in the English literature, using PubMed and Google search engines. A total of forty-nine cases meeting the diagnostic criteria of PMNS were selected in this review. Conclusion: PMNS is a rare complication of severe malaria that might be underreported, with variable presentation. Most cases are self-limited and would resolve within two months of clearance of parasitemia. There are few cases which develop severe manifestations and might benefit from steroid therapy.