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Sickle Cell Trait Mimicking Multiple Inflicted Injuries in a 5‐Year‐Old Boy
Author(s) -
Kepron Charis,
Somers Gino R.,
Pollanen Michael S.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2009.01098.x
Subject(s) - medicine , sickle cell trait , autopsy , forensic pathology , acute chest syndrome , pediatrics , population , sudden death , disease , pathology , cause of death , sickle cell anemia , surgery , environmental health
Sickle cell disease (SCD) and sickle cell trait (SCT) can be associated with sudden unexpected death in the pediatric population, usually due to pulmonary complications occurring within the acute chest syndrome (ACS). Musculoskeletal complications can occur and are classically limited to bone infarcts. The occurrence of bone pathology centered upon the epiphyseal growth plate in SCD/SCT is extremely rare, and multiple such injuries in a single patient have not been previously reported. Herein, we describe a case of sudden unexpected death in a 5‐year‐old child with undiagnosed SCT due to the ACS, with widespread epiphyseal and periosteal bone lesions mimicking multiple inflicted injuries at autopsy. This case highlights the importance of clinicopathological correlation and is the first to describe SCT pathology as a mimic of nonaccidental injury.