Challenges and Management Outcomes of Osteoarticular Infections in Adult Sickle Cell Disease Patients

Background/Objectives: Osteoarticular infections are common complications of sickle cell disease (SCD), often posing significant challenges in diagnosis and management. They primarily affect children: however, the recurrence or emergence of these infections in adults as new complications is well documented. Despite this, there is a notable lack of literature focused on diagnosis and management strategies for adult SCD patients. Our research aims to explore the management challenges in adult SCD patients and to evaluate the outcomes of a selected conservative management approach. Methods: The authors conducted a single-center retrospective observational study from January 2018 to December 2022. All adult SCD patients admitted with suspected or confirmed osteoarticular infections were included. Relevant data were meticulously extracted from patients' hard and electronic medical files. Descriptive statistics were used to present the frequencies and percentages, and suitable statistical analyses were employed to identify specific clinical features and management outcomes in adult patients with SCD. Results: Thirty-one patients with osteoarticular infections were included; the majority were males (87.1%) with a mean age of 26.55 years. Long bones were frequently affected, with femurs being the most infected sites (28.1%). Infection recurred in 41.9% of patients. Most patients were managed conservatively (93.5%), primarily with clindamycin and ciprofloxacin, for approximately six weeks, resulting in an excellent cure rate of 96.8%. Conclusions: The current study highlights the specific clinical features of osteoarticular infections in adult patients with SCD, identifies radiological findings on Magnetic Resonance Imaging, and suggests a conservative, non-invasive approach for management with excellent outcomes.