Persistent hepatomegaly: an index of severity in sickle cell anaemia

Eighty sickle cell anaemia patients, 29 with persistent hepatomegaly and 51 without, were evaluated with respect to clinical severity score. Haemoglobin F (HbF) was also determined in 52 patients, 20 with persistent hepatomegaly and 32 without. The severity scores were computed from the steady state...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inEast African medical journal Vol. 71; no. 11; p. 742
Main Authors Olatunji, P O, Falusi, A G
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Kenya 01.11.1994
Subjects
Adolescent
Adult
Anemia, Sickle Cell - blood
Anemia, Sickle Cell - complications
Blood Transfusion
Case-Control Studies
Chronic Disease
Female
Fetal Hemoglobin - metabolism
Hematocrit
Hepatomegaly - etiology
Humans
Male
Severity of Illness Index
Online AccessGet more information

Cover

More Information
Summary:Eighty sickle cell anaemia patients, 29 with persistent hepatomegaly and 51 without, were evaluated with respect to clinical severity score. Haemoglobin F (HbF) was also determined in 52 patients, 20 with persistent hepatomegaly and 32 without. The severity scores were computed from the steady state haematocrit, number of transfusions per year, and number of crises per year. The HbF level was determined by the alkali denaturation method. The patients with persistent hepatomegaly had significantly higher clinical severity scores (P < 0.001) and significantly lower levels of HbF (P < 0.0001). The implication of the finding is that patients with persistent hepatomegaly may have a more severe clinical course than those without, and clinicians managing them may have to pay more particular attention to them. In effect, persistent hepatomegaly may be a useful indicator of severity in sickle cell anaemia.
ISSN:0012-835X