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Headache and scalp edema in sickle cell disease
1Department of Neurology, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Background:
Major neurological complications of sickle cell disease include cerebral infarction and intracranial hemorrhages.
Methods:
We describe the case of a 25-year-old man with sickle cell disease who developed a severe headache of acute onset, located at the vertex. There was associated pitting edema of the scalp.
Results:
Technetium and gallium bone imaging showed focal decreased uptake of the tracers, consistent with a recent fronto-parietal skull infarction. Management included intravenous hydration and analgesic medication.
Conclusions:
In addition to the more common intracranail vaso-occlusive complications, skull infarction should be considered as a cause of newonset headache in patients with sickle cell disease, especially if scalp edema is present.