Sonographic assessment of the prevalence of gall bladder abnormalities in children with sickle cell disease in Kano, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: The gall bladder is one of the abdominal organs that are frequently affected in sickle cell disease. This results from chronic hemolysis with its accelerated bilirubin turnover, which leads to a high incidence of gall bladder diseases. Ultrasonography is a cost-effective and noninvasive modality that permits a quick evaluation of the gall bladder in patients with sickle cell anemia. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in gall bladder in children with sickle cell anemia using ultrasonography. Materials and Methods: This prospective study was conducted in the department of radiology, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano (AKTH). One hundred children with sickle cell anemia and age and sex-cross-matched 100 healthy controls aged 15 years and below were recruited for this study, (in accordance with what is obtainable at AKTH, Kano). The examination was performed using an ultrasound machine equipped with a 3.5 MHz curvilinear ultrasound transducer. The gall bladder changes that were assessed include cholelithiasis, cholecystitis, biliary sludge, and volume. Results: From the 100 children scanned, there were 68 (68%) males and 32 (32%) females in each of the study groups, with an age range of 2–15 years. The mean age of the cases and controls was 9.63 ± 3.79 years and 8.49 ± 3.39 years, respectively (P = 0.024). Among the patients; 19 (19%) had cholecystitis, 9 (9%) had gallstones and 8 (8%) had biliary sludge, with no detectable abnormality in the controls. Conclusion: The ultrasonographic prevalence of gallbladder abnormality is higher in patients with sickle cell anemia when compared to normal healthy controls showing increased prevalence with age.