title: A pale Chinese boy with recurrent painful digital swelling.
abstract: Thalassaemia is the most common haemoglobinopathy in the Chinese population. However, recurrent painful digital swelling is not a typical manifestation of this well-known hereditary condition. We describe a case of co-inheritance of beta-thalassaemia and sickle cell trait in a Chinese family and a child who suffered from sickle cell/beta-thalassaemia with recurrent dactylitis. This report highlights awareness of this rare condition in the Chinese population, since acute manifestations can be life-threatening and mimic other emergency conditions. Prompt management can prevent further complications and avoid unnecessary interventions due to delay in diagnosis. A detailed family history and examination of the patient's peripheral blood smear is crucial to reach a correct diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong. frankiecheng@cuhk.edu.hk
authors.forename: Frankie W T
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Margaret H L
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Winnie C W
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Huen
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Shing
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005385:Fingers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D010167:Pallor / Q000209:etiology; D012008:Recurrence; D012805:Sickle Cell Trait / Q000150:complications*; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000150:complications*