Table 2

Pathological features in the complete diagnostic autopsy (gold standard) and the minimally invasive autopsy of malaria-specific deaths

Case	Complete diagnostic autopsy					Minimally invasive autopsy
Case	Blood parasitaemia	CNS	Lung	Other	Diagnosis	CNS	Lung	Other	Diagnosis
1	Negative *	Mild parasitaemia	Congestion, haemorrhage	Abundant haemozoin in spleen and liver	Severe malaria (treated)	–	Congestion, haemorrhage	Abundant haemozoin in spleen and liver	Severe malaria, pulmonary haemorrhage
2	271.000	Massive parasitaemia	Massive parasitaemia, haemozoin	Parasites and haemozoin in spleen, liver, heart, kidney, bowel	Cerebral malaria	Massive parasitaemia	Massive parasitaemia, haemozoin	Parasites and haemozoin in spleen, liver, heart, kidney	Cerebral malaria
3	2.879	Massive parasitaemia, oedema	Mild parasitaemia, haemozoin	Parasites and haemozoin in spleen, liver, heart, kidney	Cerebral malaria	Massive parasitaemia, oedema	Mild parasitaemia, haemozoin	Parasites and haemozoin in spleen, liver, heart, kidney	Cerebral malaria
4	34.958	Moderate parasitaemia, oedema	Abundant haemozoin, oedema	Parasites in spleen. Abundant haemozoin in spleen, liver	Cerebral malaria	Moderate parasitaemia, oedema	Abundant haemozoin, oedema	Parasites in spleen. Abundant haemozoin in spleen, liver	Cerebral malaria
5	212.308	Moderate parasitaemia	Massive parasitaemia, haemozoin, oedema	Parasites in spleen, liver, heart. Abundant haemozoin in spleen, liver	Cerebral malaria	Moderate parasitaemia	Massive parasitaemia, haemozoin, oedema	Parasites in spleen, liver, heart. Abundant haemozoin in spleen, liver	Cerebral malaria
6	176.738	Massive parasitaemia	Massive parasitaemia, haemozoin	Parasites in spleen, liver, kidney, uterus. Abundant haemozoin in spleen, liver	Cerebral malaria	Massive parasitaemia	Massive parasitaemia, haemozoin	Parasites in spleen, liver, kidney	Cerebral malaria

*Patient had received antimalarial treatment prior to arrival.
CNS, central nervous system.