Skin diseases among patients with sickle cell anaemia

Abstract EN

From July 2001 to December 2002, a total of 40 patients with sickle cell anaemia and skin diseases were enrolled in the study at units of dermatology, Basrah General Hospital and Basrah Teaching Hospital, 13 (32.5 %) were males and 27 (67.5 %) were females, their ages ranged from 5 to 50 years (mean = 21 years).

Various kinds of skin diseases were reported.

Cutaneous infections were the commonest finding (60 % of cases), non-specific features of chronic anaemia were the presenting symptom in 22.5 %, 4 cases (10 %) cases had chronic leg ulcerations, 2 of them were infective and the other two were vasoocclusive.

The prevalence of skin diseases among a random sample of 200 patients with sickle cell anaemia was (10 %).

These findings indicate that the skin could be a common site for long term sequalae of sickle cell anaemia.