title: Acute splenic rupture in an adult with homozygous sickle cell anemia treated with chronic transfusions.
abstract: Splenic rupture is a very rare event in adult homozygous sickle cell patients. The authors describe a 19-year-old patient with homozygous sickle cell disease who experienced an acute splenic rupture crisis requiring emergent splenectomy. He had been receiving chronic blood transfusions regularly for 7 years secondary to a previous stroke. It is possible that these transfusions contributed to regeneration of splenic red pulp, which allowed a crisis to occur at an advanced age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Wilford Hall Medical Center, 2200 Bergquist Dr., Lackland Air Force Base, TX 78236, USA.
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Shoemaker
authors.forename: Aaron C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Pitney
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Harford
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Barker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013156:Splenectomy; D013161:Splenic Rupture / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D065227:Transfusion Reaction