Sickle cell disease and stroke in a pediatric population. Evidence-based diagnostic evaluation.
Cerebrovascular complications are common in SCD and constitute a major source of concern to the pediatric hematologist. These complications can be either clinically overt or covert. The authors' review of the diagnostic tests does not offer absolute indications for neuroimaging because most of the evidence is based on studies that are not randomized controlled trials. Imaging guidelines for children have emerged based on the available level 2 and 3 literature, however, CT and MR imaging remain the initial tests of choice for stroke assessment, and TCD is the imaging tool of choice for stroke prevention. Based on guidelines handed down from the NIH, TCD has become a part of routine continuing care of children with SCD.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed