NEW YORK, Dec 24 (Reuters Health) -- Children with sickle cell anemia are
particularly vulnerable to stroke. However, researchers believe that ultrasound
may provide a simple, effective means of diagnosing sickle cell patients at
highest risk of stroke.
"Most hospitals have this equipment readily available and the children can
be safely and quickly screened without the need for sedation," explained
researcher Dr. Abe Malouf, Jr., of the University of Mississippi Medical Center
in Jackson. He spoke to attendees at the recent annual meeting of the
Radiological Society of North America, held in Chicago.
His team used Doppler ultrasound to examine head and neck blood flow in
126 sickle cell patients aged 2 to 16 years. Most of these patients had normal
findings on ultrasound. However, a minority showed evidence of abnormal blood
flow, suggesting that they may be at increased risk of stroke.
"The ultrasound measures the speed of the blood in the vessels," Malouf
explained in an interview with Reuters Health. A velocity of less than 170
cm/sec is considered normal, he explained, while velocities of 170 to 199 cm/sec
are considered "conditional" -- worth monitoring. Velocities of 200 cm/sec or
higher are considered abnormal and potentially dangerous, Malouf said. He
pointed out that "children with abnormal findings have a 40% risk of... stroke."
Ultrasound findings were later confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging,
the researchers add.
Earlier studies have suggested that sickle cell patients who receive
regular transfusions of red blood cells may decrease their stroke risk. "Our
goal is to determine which children are most likely to need monthly
transfusions," Malouf explained. Based on the study findings, he recommends that
all children with sickle cell disease be screened with Doppler ultrasound.
