• Shahid Ahmed, Anita K Siddiqui, Rina K Siddiqui, Miriam Kimpo, Linda Russo, and Joseph Mattana.
• Department of Medicine, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, The Long Island Campus for the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New Hyde Park, New York 11040, USA.
• Am. J. Hematol. 2003 Jul 1;73(3):190-3.

AbstractSickle cell disease is characterized by chronic hemolytic anemia and vaso-occlusive painful crisis. The vascular occlusion in sickle cell disease is a complex process and accounts for the majority of the clinical manifestations of the disease. Abdominal pain is an important component of vaso-occlusive painful crisis and may mimic diseases such as acute appendicitis and cholecystitis. Acute pancreatitis is rarely included as a cause of abdominal pain in patients with sickle cell disease. When it occurs it may result form biliary obstruction, but in other instances it might be a consequence of microvessel occlusion causing ischemia. In this series we describe four cases of acute pancreatitis in patients with sickle cell disease apparently due to microvascular occlusion and ischemic injury to the pancreas. All patients responded to conservative management. Acute pancreatitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of abdominal pain in patients with sickle cell disease.Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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