Abstract

NORDET CARRERA, Ileana et al. Splenic function in sickle cell anemia. Rev Cubana Hematol Inmunol Hemoter [online]. 2004, vol.20, n.3, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-2996.

Spleen scan with technetium-99m methyldiphosphonate and technetium-99m sulfur colloid was performed on 30 children suffering from sickle cell anemia on basal conditions included in three groups: 0-5 years-old children in the first, 6-10 years-olds in the second and 11-15 years-olds in the third. The annual average rate of infections for each patient was determined and the hemoglobin and reticulocyte figures at the time of study were taken into account. Most of children up to 5 years showed normal results in the scintigraphic studies, but abnormal results increased in the second group and were pathological in the third one. In the latter, 7 children had functional asplenia and organic asplenia was shown in all of them. Hemoglobin and reticulocyte figures did not show differences among the groups. Annual average rates of infections were 0.28 for the first group; 0,32 for the second and 0,59 for the third (p 0.05). Scintigraphy was a useful procedure to study splenic function in children with sickle cell anemia and it was demonstrated that the rate of infections was higher in the group exhibiting more scintigraphic alterations

Keywords : sickle cell anemia; spleen scan; asplenia.