Measures of Cardiac Disease in Adolescents with Sickle Cell Disease

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) has long-term cardiac complications manifesting as diastolic dysfunction or pulmonary hypertension, with most end-organ damage accelerating in the 2nd decade of life. Currently, there are no cardiac screening guidelines for pediatric patients. This study aims to 1) describe cardiac manifestations in a group of adolescents with SCD by echocardiography, and 2) correlate cardiac findings with markers of SCD severity and treatment. Methods: This was a retrospective review of patients with HbSS disease (most severe genotype) ages 13-21 years. For patients with ≥1 echo, only the most recent study was included. Echo …