Sickle cell disease: chest and abdominal manifestation-A CT based study

Abstract

Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) may have frequent episodes of abdominal pain and/or fever of uncertain cause. While many of these episodes represent the possibility of complications; Computed tomography (CT) was used to evaluate 67 Saudi Arabian patients with SCD .In 67 of the patients; the liver was affected in 59 patients, lungs in 56 patients, kidneys in 55 and gall bladder in 22 patients and pancreas in 5 cases. Spleen abnormalities were found to be Splenomegaly, cyst, abscess, infarction, Splenomegaly with cyst and Splenomegaly with abscess where the patient’s age and SC type were considered. Hepatic abnormalities including focal necrosis, Hepatomegaly, abscess, cyst; infarction as well; Cholelithiasis, gall stones and dilated common bile duct and acute pancreatitis were also considered as an important manifestation of SCD. Renal abnormalities were found to be papillary necrosis, renal abscess, Stones with hydronephrosis, renal vein thrombosis, renal failure and renal infarction. Lungs CT manifestations were found to be pleural effusion, pneumonia, atelectasis, ground glass nodules, consolidation, fibrosis, Lung abscess. The episodes were increased by increasing of the children age at different SCD. Computed tomography (CT) has been shown to be an excellent modality for efficient and multisystemic evaluation of the abdomen and chest in these patients.