Gestational malaria: HELLP syndrome mistaken diagnosis

Malaria is one of the most important parasitic infections in Mexico and Latin America. Here we report a case of a 21 year-old female with 38.4 weeks of pregnancy and previous hospitalization due to malaria. Showing a thick drop negative test she was referred to Mexico City Hospital de la Mujer with presumptive diagnosis of preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome. During her stay in ICU she developed malarial paroxysm and Plasmodium vivax was identified, conducting to specific therapy.