Transcranial doppler in sickle cell anaemia: evaluation of brain blood flow parameters in children of Aracaju, Northeast-Brazil.

BACKGROUND Environmental factors interfere on sickle cell anaemia (SCA). Transcanial Doppler (TCD) is important to evaluate cerebrovascular disease. OBJECTIVE To evaluate brain haemodynamic profile of children with SCA in Sergipe. METHODS Cross sectional study (group1: SCA patients aged 3-18; group2: age and sex matched healthy individuals). Baseline brain flow was evaluated. RESULTS Group1=34 patients; group 2=81 controls. SCA patients had mean velocity (MV)=125.69 cm/s+/-23.40; pulsatility index (PI)=0.66+/-0.10; middle cerebral artery ratio (MCAr)=14.53+/-15.23; right anterior cerebral artery/right middle cerebral artery=0.77+/-0.20; left anterior cerebral artery/left middle cerebral artery=0.78+/-0.20. Controls had MV=79.44+/-15.54; PI=0.82+/-0.11; MCAr=13.19+/-13.77; right anterior cerebral artery/right middle cerebral artery=0.80+/-0.16; left anterior cerebral artery/left middle cerebral artery=0.84+/-0.18. MV and PI differences were statistically significant between groups. MV was related to age but not to gender. CONCLUSION MV evaluation using TCD was similar to international standards and possible to be used in our setting.