CT abdominal imaging findings in patients with sickle cell disease: acute vaso-occlusive crisis, complications, and chronic sequelae.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most prevalent hemoglobinopathy. Survival in patients with SCD has improved over the past few decades. These patients experience a lifetime of repeated acute pain crises, which are thought to result from sickling and microvascular occlusions; acute abdominal pain is common. Moreover, repeated crises often lead to organ dysfunction, such as asplenia, hepatic failure, and renal failure. The spleen, liver, biliary system, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract can all be affected. Patients may undergo CT to further direct clinical management. We review the spectrum of CT imaging findings of abdominal manifestations in patients with SCD, from the acute microvascular occlusive pain crisis to the potential complications and chronic sequelae.
Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. csgardne@gmail.com.
Carly S
CS
Gardner
University Hospital of Basel, Petersgraben 4, 4031, Basel, Switzerland.
Daniel T
DT
Boll
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Unit 1473, Houston, TX, 77030-4009, USA.
Priya
P
Bhosale
Duke University Medical Center, 2301 Erwin Road, Box 3808, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
Tracy A
TA
Jaffe
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D000208:Acute Disease; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D018450:Disease Progression; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology
Abdominal pain; Ischemia; Microvascular; Sickle cell disease; Vaso-occlusive crisis