Intracranial vasculopathy and infarct recurrence in children with sickle cell anaemia, silent cerebral infarcts and normal transcranial Doppler velocities

Br J Haematol. 2018 Oct;183(2):324-326. doi: 10.1111/bjh.14979. Epub 2017 Oct 26.

Abstract

We aimed to test the hypothesis that in children with sickle cell anemia (SCA), silent cerebral infarcts (SCIs), and normal transcranial Doppler (TCD) velocities, baseline intracranial vasculopathy (defined by magnetic resonance angiography (MRA)) is associated with cerebral infarct recurrence. A total of 110 children with median age of 9.4 years (range 5 to 14 years), enrolled in the Silent Cerebral Infarct Transfusion (SIT) Trial, had MRAs performed at baseline; vasculopathy was present in 2% (2 of 110). Due to the low prevalence, MRA-defined intracranial vasculopathy is not a predictor of cerebral infarct recurrence in children with SCA, SCIs, and normal TCD velocities.

Keywords: children; intracranial vasculopathy; sickle cell anaemia; silent cerebral infarct; silent stroke.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Anemia, Sickle Cell / complications*
  • Anemia, Sickle Cell / therapy
  • Blood Flow Velocity / physiology
  • Blood Transfusion
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • Cerebral Infarction / diagnostic imaging
  • Cerebral Infarction / etiology*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Angiography
  • Male
  • Recurrence
  • Single-Blind Method
  • Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial