Splenic function in Saudi children with sickle cell disease

Splenic function was studied in 15 Saudi children with homozygous sickle cell disease. Age range was 4-13 years. Using 99Tc liver spleen scan, it was shown that 13 patients had some splenic function ranging from minimal to normal. This is in contrast to the black sicklers who usually have anatomic asplenia by the age of six to eight years. It might contribute to the relatively mild course in children with sickle cell disease in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia.