• Tshimanga M Taty, Joseph B Mabiala, Marlina E Lovett, Jean Pongo, Davin A Musungufu, Mananu Uchama, and Nicole F O'Brien.
• Departement de Pediatrie, Hopital Pediatrique de Kalembe Lembe, Cliniques Universitaires de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Congo DR.
• J Neuroimaging. 2020 Jul 1; 30 (4): 463-467.

Background And PurposeHemoglobin (Hbg) is often thought to impact cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV). This study was performed to investigate the relationship between Hbg value and CBFV in African children with malaria.MethodsIn this prospective, observational study, children aged 3 months to 18 years with malaria and a normal Blantyre coma score underwent a single transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) examination with a concurrent Hbg check.ResultsOne hundred fifty-six children with a mean age of 43 months were enrolled. Thirty-three children (21%) had severe anemia (Hbg <5g/dL), 46 (29%) had moderate anemia (Hbg 5-6.9 g/dL), 63 children (41%) had mild anemia (7-9.9 g/dL), and 14 children (9%) had no anemia (Hbg >10 g/dL) at the time of TCD examination. Mean averaged CBFV in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) for the cohort was 99% of predicted based on normative values standardized for age. There was no significant correlation between Hbg levels and measured CBFV in the MCA (r = -.09; 95% CI, -.24-.07; P = .29).ConclusionIn a large sample of African children with malaria, Hbg did not correlate with CBFVs as measured by TCD. Future work that includes baseline TCD measurements and Hbg values as well as other physiological parameters known to influence CBFVs is necessary to confirm these findings.© 2020 American Society of Neuroimaging.

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