| Sickle cell disease | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Sickle cell disorder; drepanocytosis (dated) |
 |
|
| Figure (A) shows normal red blood cells flowing freely through a blood vessel. The inset shows a cross-section of a normal red blood cell with normal haemoglobin. Figure (B) shows abnormal, sickled red blood cells sticking at the branching point in a blood vessel. The inset image shows a cross-section of a sickle cell with long polymerized sickle haemoglobin (HbS) strands stretching and distorting the cell shape to look like a crescent moon. | |
| Specialty | Hematology, medical genetics |
| Symptoms | Attacks of pain, anemia, swelling in the hands and feet, bacterial infections, stroke[1] |
| Complications | Chronic pain, stroke, aseptic bone necrosis, gallstones, leg ulcers, priapism, pulmonary hypertension, vision problems, kidney problems[2] |
| Usual onset | 5–6 months of age[1] |
| Causes | Genetic, Homozygous mutation in the hemoglobin S gene.[3] |
| Diagnostic method | Blood test[4] |
| Treatment | Vaccination, antibiotics, high fluid intake, folic acid supplementation, pain medication, blood transfusions[5][6] |
| Prognosis | Life expectancy 40–60 years (developed world)[2] |
| Frequency | 7.7 million (2021)[7] |
| Deaths | 34,000 p.a. (a contributory factor to a further 376,000 p.a.)[7] |
| Sickle cell disease | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Sickle cell disorder; drepanocytosis (dated) |
|
|
| Figure (A) shows normal red blood cells flowing freely through a blood vessel. The inset shows a cross-section of a normal red blood cell with normal haemoglobin. Figure (B) shows abnormal, sickled red blood cells sticking at the branching point in a blood vessel. The inset image shows a cross-section of a sickle cell with long polymerized sickle haemoglobin (HbS) strands stretching and distorting the cell shape to look like a crescent moon. | |
| Specialty | Hematology, medical genetics |
| Symptoms | Attacks of pain, anemia, swelling in the hands and feet, bacterial infections, stroke[1] |
| Complications | Chronic pain, stroke, aseptic bone necrosis, gallstones, leg ulcers, priapism, pulmonary hypertension, vision problems, kidney problems[2] |
| Usual onset | 5–6 months of age[1] |
| Causes | Genetic, Homozygous mutation in the hemoglobin S gene.[3] |
| Diagnostic method | Blood test[4] |
| Treatment | Vaccination, antibiotics, high fluid intake, folic acid supplementation, pain medication, blood transfusions[5][6] |
| Prognosis | Life expectancy 40–60 years (developed world)[2] |
| Frequency | 7.7 million (2021)[7] |
| Deaths | 34,000 p.a. (a contributory factor to a further 376,000 p.a.)[7] |
