Sickle cell-induced ischemic colitis

Sickle cell-induced ischemic colitis is a rare yet potentially fatal complication of sickle cell anemia. Frequent pain crises with heavy analgesia may obscure and prolong this important diagnosis. Our patient was a 29-year-old female with sickle cell disease who was admitted with left lower quadrant abdominal pain. A diagnostic workup, including chemistries, complete blood count, blood cultures, chest x-ray, computerized tomography scanning, and colonoscopy, was performed to identify the etiology of her symptoms. This case highlights the importance of differentiating simple pain crisis from more serious and life-threatening ischemic bowel. A review of the literature compares this case to others reported and gives a method for diagnosing and treating this complication of sickle cell disease.