Transcranial Doppler in adult patients with sickle cell disease.
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.
Sampaio Silva
Gisele
G
Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. giselesampaio@hotmail.com
Vicari
Perla
P
Figueiredo
Maria Stella
MS
Filho
Adauto Castelo
AC
Valadi
Nojan
N
Massaro
Ayrton Roberto
AR
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