A Case of Post-malarial Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome in a Young Woman of South Asian Origin

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) often manifests following an acute infection. This case study reports a post-malarial onset of POTS in a young female medical student who presented with tachycardia, dizziness, presyncope, several episodes of syncope, and dysautonomic symptoms. The diagnosis of POTS was established only four years later by a tilt table test. The patient made a remarkable functional recovery from POTS, as she responded well to pharmacotherapy, primarily beta-blockers, along with lifestyle modifications. Although mild dysautonomic symptoms such as lack of thermoregulation and decreased perspiration have persisted throughout her life, the patient has managed to cope with these symptoms and function well in her daily life. To our knowledge, this is probably the first reported case of post-malarial POTS, and we recommend that the non-viral etiology of POTS, particularly the post-malarial cases, be studied in detail to understand the pathophysiology and management of this disorder.