Thoracic manifestations of sickle cell disease.
Sickle cell disease is the most common inherited disease in the African American population. Multiorgan pathologic features with a predilection for thoracic organs predominate. Acute cardiopulmonary diseases include acute chest syndrome, pneumonia, and left ventricular failure. Cardiomegaly, pleural effusions, pulmonary consolidation, pulmonary edema on chest radiographs, and ground-glass opacities on computed tomographs are characteristic. Chronic changes include sickle cell lung disease with lung fibrosis, pulmonary arterial hypertension, hyperkinetic circulation related to severe anemia, and thoracic skeletal abnormalities; the latter are H-shaped vertebrae, rib infarction, and extramedullary hematopoesis.
Leong
C S
CS
Department of Radiology, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, California 94304, USA.
Stark
P
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed