Cholelithiasis in children with sickle cell disease.

A group of 47 children with homozygous sickle cell disease ranging in age from 2 to 18 years was studied for the prevalence of gallstones. All of these patients had oral cholecystogram and cholecystosonogram. Eight of the 47 patients (17%) had gallstones both on oral cholecystography and on cholecystosonography. These eight patients had a history of recurrent abdominal pain usually localized to the right upper quadrant. All were admitted on several occasions for sickle cell abdominal crises and four of these were admitted for acute hepatic crisis. These patients have undergone elective cholecystectomy and gallstones were found in every patient. The patients have been followed up from seven to 17 months after cholecystectomy and none have had abdominal symptoms or required hospitalization for abdominal crises.