THE MALARIA TRIAD
Authors: Theodore H. Noehren
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1946)

Article1 August 1946THE MALARIA TRIADTHEODORE H. NOEHRENTHEODORE H. NOEHRENSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-25-2-293 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptPeriodic chills with fever,1, 2, 3 splenomegaly,4, 5 and anemia6 have been traditionally recognized and taught7, 8, 9 as the diagnostic triad of malaria. Even the most recent publications continue to propagate this dictum.10 Boyd,11 in 1944, states categorically: "Clinically active malaria infections, regardless of the species of their causative parasite, exhibit three basic symptoms: (a) fever, (b) anemia, (c) splenomegaly."Recent experience with acute malaria cases, however, leads one to believe that the value of the triad in diagnosis of this disease deserves much reconsideration. 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