Viral hepatitis in patients with sickle cell disease

Monali Rajendra kumar Sahu*, Tanvi Dilip Wairagade, Sonali Dilip Wairagade, Ranjit S. Ambad, Nandkishor Bankar

Midas Multispecialty Hospital, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India

ABSTRACT

Sickle cell hemoglobinopathy patients are vexed with sickle cell crises crises all through their life. Occurrence of jaundice in these patients is quite common and when present gets ascribed to the sickle cell crisis, sickle cell hepatopathy, intrahepatic cholestasis or cholelithisis. Further, incidence of viral hepatitis is extremely common in these patients. Clinically it is difficult to distinguish this aetiology. We have attempted to identify the criteria to help differentiate amongst sicklers which patients should be investigated for viral hepatitis. Also, sicklers with hepatitis have been studied against non sicklers with hepatitis and also complications of hepatitis in these two groups.

Keywords:

Viral hepatitis, Sickle Cell Disease, Jaundice, Haemoglobinopathy