Acute Cholelithiasis With Acute Pancreatic Calcifications: A Unique Presentation of Sickle Cell Crisis

Sickle cell disease is one of the most prevalent hemoglobinopathies around the world. Sickle cell anemia manifests due to a genetic alteration caused by substituting a single nucleotide in place of another nucleotide in the beta-globin gene. This mutation causes rigidity and sickling of the erythrocytes when the oxygen saturation falls in conditions like infection, dehydration, stress, etc. The distorted erythrocytes cause vaso-occlusion, tissue ischemia, and infarction. Cholelithiasis is known to be a frequent complication in cases of sickle cell anemia. It occurs because of chronic hemolysis. In sickle cell patients, calcific pancreatitis is an infrequent complication of vaso-occlusive crisis. It appears in connection with cholelithiasis in most patients. This case report highlights a rare presentation of sickle cell crisis complicated with multiple pigmented gall bladder calculi and pancreatic calcifications.