Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease Gastrointestinal

  • Etiology: Repeated autoinfarction of spleen
  • Imaging:
    — Spectrum from splenomegaly to very small spleen or autosplenectomy
    — Gallstones
  • Imaging MRI:
    — T2WI: Liver is hypointense and spleen is hypointense and shrunken in size
  • DDX:
  • Complications: Splenic infarction
  • Treatment:
  • Clinical:

Radiology Cases of Sickle Cell Disease Gastrointestinal

Radiology Cases of Cholelithiasis in Sickle Cell Disease Gastrointestinal

AXR and CT of cholelithiasis due to sickle cell disease
AXR AP (left) shows faint calcifications in the right upper quadrant, just beneath the tip of the 12th rib and at the level of the L2 vertebral body which are better demonstrated on the coronal CT without contrast of the abdomen which demonstrates 5 calcifications within the gallbladder.
US of gallstones in sickle cell disease
Sagittal (above) and transverse (below) US of the gallbladder show multiple small round echogenic mobile objects within the gallbladder that cause posterior shadowing.

Radiology Cases of Choledocholithiasis Causing Gangrenous Cholecystitis in Sickle Cell Disease Gastrointestinal

US of gangrenous cholecystitis
Sagittal (left) and transverse (right) US of the gallbladder show the gallbladder to be filled with sludge and debris. The gallbladder wall is thickened and in one area was felt to be discontinuous. There were multiple gall stones present in the common bile duct (not pictured).