When blood vessels are narrowed due to sickle cell damage, the blood makes a louder noise as it travels through the narrow area. This is like the noise in a water hose when you make the hose bend. If there is faster flow, that means that the blood vessel may be narrower, and there is a greater risk of possibly having a stroke in the future.
Strokes occur because of a problem with the blood circulation to the brain.
If the blood flow is decreased, parts of the brain do no get the oxygen that is necessary for the brain to function, and may result in problems such as weakness in an arm or leg, difficulty talking or understanding what others are saying, memory problems, or other losses of brain function. Strokes are very uncommon in childhood, but sickle cell disease is one of the few conditions associated with a higher possibility of strokes in children. In other words, we can expect that out of 100 children with sickle cell disease, about 5 to 10 may be at risk for having a stroke before the age of 15. This is 300 times more likely than in children without sickle cell disease. We will set up an appointment with you for the test, which is done in the Radiology Department at Saint Francis.