Transcranial Doppler Screening in 50 Patients With Sickle Cell Hemoglobinopathies in Iran

Background: As previous studies had discordant results with regard to the correlation of transcranial Doppler (TCD) screening and brain MRI, the aim of this study was to find the correlation between TCD values and silent ischemia in sickle cell disease (SCD) patients. Method and Materials: In this cross-sectional study, 50 patients with proven diagnosis of sickle cell hemoglobinopathies based on their hemoglobin electrophoresis were included. Demographic data, their physical exam, information with regard to crises history, and their laboratory data were recorded. Brain MRI and TCD were requested for all patients. Results: The mean age of the patients was 10.2±5.8 years. Only 3 patients (6%) showed evidence of ischemia on brain MRI. Normal and ischemic patients were not significantly different with respect to TCD values, sex, splenomegaly, aplastic crisis, and laboratory test results (P-value>0.05). Only platelet count was significantly higher in the ischemic group compared with that in the normal group (P=0.002). The pain crisis was significantly associated with the mean velocity values of RMCA, LMCA, RV, and LV arteries (P-value
Source: Journal of Pediatric Hematology Oncology - Category: Hematology Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research