Transcranial doppler in sickle cell anemia

ABSTRACTPurpose: In this study we compared the brain blood flow velocity of healty children and children with sickle cell anemia. By this, we have to foresee aimed the risk of stroke in children with sickle cell anemiaMaterials and methods: Between February 2010- May 2011, forty patients with sickle cell anemia and forty healthy children as the control group were included in this study. There were 38 male, 42 female children aged from 3 to 20 years. Transtemporal and occipital windows were used as access points for Transcranial Doppler examination middle, anterior, posterior cerebral arteria and vertebral, basillar arteria were sampled. Findings of two groups were compared and the results of the children with sickle cell anemia was classified according to STOP criteria.Results: Sickle cell anemia group had increased blood flow velocity in carotid and vertebrobasillar circulation compared to the healty children. Negative correlation was detected between age and blood flow of serebral arteries. (p<0.01) The mean blood flow velocity of middle cerebral arteria was detected to be higher than 170 cm/sn in three children (7,5 %) with sickle cell anemia and these children were considered borderline according to STOP criteria and were followed for three-monthly periods. At the end of the follow-up no transfusion therapy was needed.Conclusion: Transcranial doppler is a non invasive, effective, inexpensive method for clinical follow-up and identification of risk of cerebral infarction in the children with sickle cell anemia.Key Words: Transcranial Doppler, Sickle cell anemia, Stroke at the sickle cell anemia