title: Sludge, stones and sickle cell anaemia.
abstract: A total of ninety-seven paediatric and adult patients with sickle cell anaemia and fourty-eight control subjects were investigated with the aim of determining the content of the gallbladder. The patients and control subjects were categorised according to the presence or otherwise of gallbladder stones, and, or sludge. The age last birthday, PCV and number of crises per year were recorded in order to determine their influence on the development of gallbladder stones and sludge. The gallbladder contents were examined using ultrasonographic technique. The age and number of crises per year was determined from the clinical record files and direct questioning of patients. Seventy patients had normal gallbladder content while eighteen had sludge, six had stones, and three had a combination of sludge and stones. None of the control subjects had sludge or stone. The age of patients increased from progressively from those with normal content through those with sludge to those with stones. The PCV and number of crises per year only differentiated between normal and abnormal gallbladder contents. While the prevalence of gallbladder stones in this study falls within the range in previous studies, a high prevalence of sludge was observed. The association between the occurrence of sludge and stones with age, PVC and number of crises per year suggests the need for a larger series and that they may identify a group of patients requiring closer monitoring.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Olatunji
authors.forename: P O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Olatunji
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001646:Bile / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D006400:Hematocrit; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D014463:Ultrasonography