Sickle cell anemia

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Overview Symptoms Treatment Prevention

Sickle cell anemia

Common symptoms include:

• paleness
• yellow eyes/skin
• fatigue
• breathlessness
• rapid heart rate
• delayed growth and puberty
• susceptibility to infections
• ulcers on the lower legs (in adolescents and adults)
• jaundice
• bone pain
• attacks of abdominal pain
• fever

The patient may also have:

• bloody urine (hematuria )
• frequent urination
• excessive thirst
• painful erection (priapism; this occurs in 10-40% of men with the disease)
• chest pain
• poor eyesight/blindness

Tests commonly performed to diagnose and monitor patients with sickle cell anemia include:

• Complete blood count (CBC )
• Hemoglobin electrophoresis
• Sickle cell test

Patients with sickle cell may have abnormal results on certain tests, as follows:

• peripheral smear displaying sickle cells
• urinary casts or blood in the urine
• Hemoglobin; serum decreased
• elevated bilirubin
• high white blood cell count
• elevated serum potassium
• elevated serum creatinine
• blood oxygen saturation may be decreased
• CT scan or MRI can display strokes in certain circumstances

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