title: Changes seen on computed tomography of the chest in mildly symptomatic adult patients with sickle cell disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe and quantify the main changes seen on computed tomography of the chest in mildly symptomatic adult patients with sickle cell disease, as well as to evaluate the radiologist accuracy in determining the type of hemoglobinopathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study involving 44 adult patients with sickle cell disease who underwent inspiration and expiration computed tomography of the chest. The frequency of tomography findings and the extent of involvement are reported. We also calculated radiologist accuracy in determining the type of hemoglobinopathy by analyzing the pulmonary alterations and morphology of the spleen.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The changes found on computed tomography scans, in descending order of frequency, were as follows: fibrotic opacities (81.8%); mosaic attenuation (56.8%); architectural distortion (31.8%); cardiomegaly (25.0%); lobar volume reduction (18.2%); and increased caliber of peripheral pulmonary arteries (9.1%). For most of the findings, the involvement was considered mild, five or fewer lung segments being affected. The accuracy in determining the type of hemoglobinopathy (HbSS group versus not HbSS group) was 72.7%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In adult patients with sickle cell disease, the main tomography findings reflect fibrotic changes. In addition, computed tomography can be helpful in differentiating among hemoglobinopathies.
authors: MD, Radiologist at the Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto (HUPE), Student in the Graduate Program in Medical Sciences at the Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors: Ursula David
authors: UD
authors: Alves
authors: PhD, Adjunct Professor of Pulmonology at the Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors: Agnaldo José
authors: AJ
authors: Lopes
authors: PhD, Adjunct Professor of Hematology at the Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors: Maria Christina Paixão
authors: MC
authors: Maioli
authors: PhD, Adjunct Professor of Hematology at the Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors: Andrea Ribeiro
authors: AR
authors: Soares
authors: PhD, Associate Professor, Head of the Biomedical Instrumentation Laboratory, Head of the Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Research in Vascular Biology, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors: Pedro Lopes
authors: PL
authors: de Melo
authors: PhD, Adjunct Professor of Radiology at the Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Head of the Radiology Department of the Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto (HUPE), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Mogami
keywords: Anemia, sickle cell; Lung diseases/etiology; Tomography, X-ray computed