Sickle cell disease and sickle cell pain mimic other disorders

Abstract

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is an inherited disorder of hemoglobin (Hb) structure where the insoluble deoxy form of sickle Hb causes sickling of red blood cells and vasoocclsion. The phonotypic expression of SCD is so complex that its diagnosis is often missed thus delaying the appropriate therapeutic intervention. This abstract describes three patients where this occurred. The first patient was a 47 year-old African American man who presented with severe low back pain. He never had a similar episode before.