Sickle cell anemia

Sickle cell anemia, like other chronic, life-threatening diseases, can cause great stress to the patient and family members. Joining a support group, where members share common experiences and problems, can relieve this stress. See sickle cell anemia - support group.

Expectations (prognosis):

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In the past, death from organ failure often occurred between the ages of 20 and 40 in most sickle-cell patients. More recently, because of better understanding and management of the disease, patients live into their forties and fifties.

Causes of death include organ failure and infection. Some people with the disease experience minor, brief, and infrequent episodes. Others experience severe, prolonged, and frequent episodes resulting in many complications.

Complications:

recurrent aplastic and hemolytic crises resulting in anemia and gallstones
multisystem disease (kidney, liver, lung)
narcotic abuse
splenic sequestration syndrome
acute chest syndrome
erectile dysfunction (as a result of priapism)
blindness/visual impairment
neurologic symptoms and stroke
joint destruction
gallstones
infection, including pneumonia, cholecystitis (gallbladder), osteomyelitis (bone), and urinary tract infection
parvovirus B19 infection resulting in aplastic crisis
tissue death of the kidney
loss of function of the spleen
leg ulcers
death