title: Left ventricular function by echocardiogram in children with sickle cell anaemia in Mumbai, Western India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiovascular events and complications are the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in patients with sickle cell disease. Cardiac abnormalities occur frequently and at an early stage in sickle cell anaemia patients, despite being more evident in adulthood. Sickle cell anaemia patients are increasingly able to reach adulthood owing to improved healthcare, and may, therefore, suffer the consequences of chronic cardiac injury. Thus, the study of cardiac abnormalities is essential in children
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine the echocardiographic changes in left ventricular function in children suffering from sickle cell disease in Mumbai, Western India.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study comprised of 48 cases of sickle cell anaemia and 30 non-anaemic controls with normal haemoglobin and electrophoresis pattern. M-mode, two-dimensional, and Doppler echocardiographic measurements of patients and controls were performed according to the criteria of the American Echocardiography Society.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On Doppler study, the A wave height was increased and the E/A ratio was decreased, whereas the deceleration and isovolumetric relaxation times were prolonged, which is typically seen in slowed or impaired myocardial relaxation (p<0.001). Although chamber dilatations were present, echocardiographic parameters showed no statistically significant correlation with severity of anaemia and age among the sickle cell patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that the increased left ventricular stiffness, compared with controls, might be due to fibrosis related to ischaemia caused by SS disease in addition to wall hypertrophy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology,LTMMC and LTMGH,Sion,Mumbai,India.
authors.forename: Abhay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tidake
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology,LTMMC and LTMGH,Sion,Mumbai,India.
authors.forename: Pranil
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gangurde
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology,LTMMC and LTMGH,Sion,Mumbai,India.
authors.forename: Anup
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taksande
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology,LTMMC and LTMGH,Sion,Mumbai,India.
authors.forename: Ajay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mahajan
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology,LTMMC and LTMGH,Sion,Mumbai,India.
authors.forename: Pratap
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nathani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications*; D002648:Child; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
keywords: Sickle cell anaemia; deceleration time; isovolumetric relaxation time