title: Prevalence of abdominal ultrasonographic abnormalities in patients with sickle cell disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the type and prevalence of abdominal ultrasonographic abnormalities in patients with sickle cell disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 102 patients with sickle cell disease at the Center of Hemoglobinopathy of the Antakya State Hospital were screened for intra-abdominal abnormalities by abdominal ultrasonography (US). Eightyfour patients were homozygous for sickle-cell disease (S/S), and 18 patients were compound heterozygotes for sickle cell-Beta thalassemia (S/Beta(thal)). At the time of examination, 15.7% (16/102) of patients had undergone splenectomy, and 18.6% (19/102) of patients had undergone cholecystectomy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most frequent US findings (expressed as percentages of all patients) were hepatomegaly (71.6%), renal enlargement (30.4%), autosplenectomy (33.3%), cholelithiasis (30.4%) and splenomegaly (17.4%). A bright liver was identified in 6 patients (5.9%), an echogenic pancreas in 4 patients (3.9%), and pancreatic punctate echogenic foci were identified in 5 patients (4.9%). Medullary or diffusely increased renal echogenicity was observed in 16 patients (15.7%). Sonographic findings typical of renal papillary necrosis were observed in one patient with S/S. Periportal lymphadenopathy was detected in 10 (11.9%) of 84 patients of the S/S group, and 2 (11.1%) of 18 patients of S/Beta(thal) group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Abdominal ultrasonographic imaging of patients with sickle cell disease revealed a high prevalence of abdominal abnormalities, especially in solid organs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Mustafa Kemal University School of Medicine, Antakya, Hatay, Turkey. alibalciradyolog@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balci
authors.forename: Sinem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karazincir
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sangün
authors.forename: Edip
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gali
authors.forename: Turgay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Daplan
authors.forename: Cihangir
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cingiz
authors.forename: Ertuğrul
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eğilmez
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000293:Adolescent; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006529:Hepatomegaly / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D010182:Pancreatic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D013163:Splenomegaly / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult