title: Transcranial Doppler in adult patients with sickle cell disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transcranial Doppler (TCD) is the key test in determining the need for prophylactic blood transfusion to prevent stroke in children with sickle cell disease (SCD). The role of TCD in assessing stroke risk in adults with SCD as well as the pattern of TCD velocities in these patients are still undetermined.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors compared TCD velocities in SCD adults (n=56) with those of healthy controls (n=56).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Velocities in SCD adults were lower than those found in children and higher than in controls and negatively correlated to hematocrit in both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pattern of TCD velocities in adults with SCD is different from that described in children. Age-specific TCD criteria may assist the detection of stroke risk in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. giselesampaio@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Gisele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sampaio Silva
authors.forename: Perla
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vicari
authors.forename: Maria Stella
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Figueiredo
authors.forename: Adauto Castelo
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Filho
authors.forename: Nojan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Valadi
authors.forename: Ayrton Roberto
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Massaro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D018056:Hemorheology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial