Plasmodium malariae infection: a case of missed diagnosis.

in peripheral blood smear is a rare occurrence and usually a cause for concern. However, some studies correlate schizontaemia to current or impending symptoms and/ or hyperparasitaemia1, while other studies do not indicate severity and same was observed in uncomplicated cases2. A potential confounder for the clinical consideration of the presence of schizonts may be the missed diagnosis of other Plasmodium sp coinfections. The diagnosis of other species by microscopy is often missed due to low parasite densities or the damaged morphology of the parasites. In addition, the skill of the microscopist is an important factor as well as the total time spent in examining the slide, the type of smear examined, and the choice and method of staining. Here, we report such a case of diagnostic difficulty encountered in an endemic area of India.