Musculoskeletal manifestations in sickle cell anemia

Sickle cell anemia is an inherited hemoglobin disorder characterized by substitution of glutamic acid by valine at the sixth position of the beta globin chain. The sequence of events leads to pain crisis. Ischemia of the tissues resulting from decreased blood flow is believed to occur in pain crisis. Repeated or prolonged sickling causes red cell death in the form of hemolytic anemia. The majority of hospital admissions are due to painful crisis. These patients are at increased risk for both osteomyelitis and infarction of the long bones. Magnetic resonance imaging has been shown to be helpful in the diagnosis of early osteomyelitis and its differentiation from infarction in sickle cell disease patients with acute bone crisis. Others findings include dactylitis, medullary infarcts, diploic space widening, fish mouth vertebrae, and avascular necrosis. We present a case series on the various musculoskeletal manifestations of sickle cell disease.