Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Stabilizes Cerebral Vasculopathy in High-Risk Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease Patients: Evidence From a Referral Transplant Center

Background Severe sickle cell disease (SCD) can present with different vaso-occlusive manifestations with cerebral vasculopathy (CV) as one of the most serious complications. Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is the ultimate therapy for this complication. The aim of this study was to assess the outcome and impact of HSCT on severe SCD patients with CV complications. Methods Twenty-five consecutive transplants-naive pediatric SCD patients with CV complications underwent HSCT at our institution between 1993 and 2015, using bone marrow as stem cells source from fully match related donors were included. Neurologic evaluation was done both clinically and radiologically before transplantation and regularly following the HSCT. Results With a median follow-up of 52.2 ± 5.8 months, the cumulative probability of overall survival (OS) at 3 years was 92.0% and event-free survival (EFS) was 88%. Significant neurologic improvements were observed in most of the patients clinically. Different neurologic complications were assessed. The neurologic manifestations before and after HSCT were hemiparesis (11, 1), seizures (13, 8), focal neurologic deficit (4, 2), loss of conscious (2, 1) headache (6, 1), and psychological symptoms (5, 2). Post-HSCT radiological imaging was done in 15 patients, which showed stabilization of CV among all. Conclusions Allogeneic HSCT in patients with severe SCD presenting with CV complications including moyamoya vasculopathy showed favorable outcome with significant clinical neurologic improvement and stabilization of the disease. None of the patients with severe vasculopathy underwent neurological vascular by-pass surgery prior to HSCT.