title: Sudden death in a case of sickle cell anemia: post-mortem computed tomography and autopsy correlation from a radiologist's perspective.
abstract: Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a hemolytic disease characterized by the production of abnormal hemoglobin chains and distorted red blood cell morphology or sickling. "Sickle cell crisis" includes vaso-occlusive crisis, a plastic crisis, sequestration crisis, haemolytic crisis and often culminating in serious complications, organ damage and even sudden death. Post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) findings of sickle cell disease have never been reported in literature. This case of sudden death from acute hemolytic crisis in SCA where post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) and autopsy findings complemented each other, both revealing findings invisible to the other and both crucial to the case.
authors: Center of Forensic Imaging, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Zurich, Switzerland. drsnar72@gmail.com
authors: S N
authors: SN
authors: Abdul Rashid
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Krauskopf
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Vonlanthen
authors: M J
authors: MJ
authors: Thali
authors: T D
authors: TD
authors: Ruder
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D001344:Autopsy; D003645:Death, Sudden; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed