Urographic changes in homozygous sickle cell disease.

A prospective urographic study of 40 Nigerian homozygous sickle cell patients is presented. The age range was 13-51 years with a mean of 20. The excretory urogram was normal in 30% of the patients. There is a very high incidence of renal papillary necrosis (40%). The other abnormalities observed are non-obstructive caliectasis (47.5%), poor excretion of contrast medium (40%) and renal enlargement. The incidence of urographic abnormality was neither age- or sex-related. There is also no relationship between abnormality and urinary symptoms.