TITLE:
Etiology Based Sickle Cell Disease Hepatopathy
AUTHORS:
Hassan Al-Jafar, Jameela A. Alkhaldi, Salah Termos
KEYWORDS:
Sickle Cell Disease, Hepatopathy, Complication
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Gastroenterology,
Vol.10 No.7,
July
13,
2020
ABSTRACT: Sickle
cell disease is an autosomal recessive disorder. The vas-occlusive crises lead
to microinfarcts in the microvasculature in all organs, including the liver
causing acute and chronic vascular complications in the form of ischemia,
sequestration, and thrombosis, it also causes acute on top of chronic hepatic
manifestations. Lifelong hemolytic anemia leads to precipitations of bile
salts, bile pigments in intrahepatic, and extrahepatic bile ducts, which cause
an important part of liver problems in sickle cell disease. Many other
etiological factors could cause sickle cell disease hepatopathy. Liver problems
in such patients could be fatal complications. Dealing with these complications
based on the etiological factors provides a more accurate diagnosis for the
overlapping liver manifestations in sickle cell disease, which means better
treatment; it also simplifies this complicated medical issue. Sickle cell disease patients require
periodic biochemistry and imaging studies to detect and treat hepatic
complications as soon as possible.