This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on Web of Science (41)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in JAMA  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Its Occurrence in Nonblack Persons

Peter A. Lane, MD; John H. Githens, MD

JAMA. 1985;253(15):2251-2254.

Abstract
Six consecutive cases of splenic syndrome at mountain altitudes in persons with sickle cell trait are reported and the literature is reviewed. All six cases occurred in men who experienced the acute onset of severe left-upper-quadrant abdominal pain within 48 hours of arrival in Colorado from lower altitudes. All six patients were phenotypically nonblack. Three patients experienced their symptoms at moderate altitudes of 1,609 to 2,134 m (5,280 to 7,000 ft) above sea level. All recovered with medical management and none required splenectomy, although functional hyposplenia was a sequela in at least one patient. The possibility that nonblack persons with sickle cell trait may be at greater risk than black persons with sickle cell trait for the development of splenic syndrome at moderate altitude is discussed.

(JAMA 1985;253:2251-2254)

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Pediatrics (Dr Lane) and Colorado Sickle Cell Treatment and Research Center (Dr Githens), University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver. Dr Lane is now with the Northern California Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center, San Francisco General Hospital.

Footnotes
Read in part before the Western Society for Pediatric Research, Carmel, Calif, Feb 10, 1984.

Reprint requests to 4200 E Ninth Ave, Box C220, Denver, CO 80262 (Dr Githens).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Sickle Cell Trait Is a Risk Factor for Early Stroke
Golomb
Arch Neurol 2005;62:1778-1779.
FULL TEXT  

Sickle Cell Trait: Innocent Until Proven Guilty
Roach
Arch Neurol 2005;62:1781-1782.
FULL TEXT  

Mobilization, collection, and processing of peripheral blood stem cells in individuals with sickle cell trait
Kang et al.
Blood 2002;99:850-855.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Pulmonary Function in Sickle Cell Trait
DILLARD et al.
ANN INTERN MED 1987;106:191-196.
ABSTRACT  

Sickle Cell Trait and Splenic Syndrome
Steinberg
JAMA 1985;254:1901-1901.
ABSTRACT  

The Sickle Cell Gene in Evolution: A Solitary Wanderer or a Nomad in a Caravan of Interacting Genes
Roth
JAMA 1985;253:2259-2260.
ABSTRACT