Acute silent cerebral infarction in children with sickle cell anemia.
Silent cerebral infarctions (SCI) occur in up to 35% of children with sickle cell anemia (HbSS) but are rarely recognized during the initial 10-14 days when diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can differentiate acute infarctions from remote events. We report acute SCI in seven children with HbSS who had areas of restricted diffusion on MRI without persistent focal neurologic deficits. Four had acute SCI identified following acute anemic events. Our observations suggest that SCI are detectible in the acute phase, present with subtle neurologic symptoms, result in permanent neurologic injury, and may be caused by acute anemic events.
Dowling
Michael M
MM
Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390-9063, USA. michael.dowling@utsouthwestern.edu
Quinn
Charles T
CT
Rogers
Zora R
ZR
Buchanan
George R
GR
D000208:Acute Disease; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography