We report a case of an adolescent who had sickle cell disease and previous evidence of myocardial damage and presented with abdominal pain and rapid progression to cardiogenic shock and subsequent development of myocardial infarction. To our knowledge, this represents only the second report of a case of acute myocardial ischemia and subsequent infarction resulting transient ventricular dysfunction reported in a child with sickle cell disease successfully treated with exchange transfusion. The pathophysiology of this complication remains unclear, and cardiac complications may remain undetected as lung, bone, and brain infarcts are more common and the pain associated with sickle cell crisis may mask the ischemic symptoms. Multiple factors may contribute to ischemia in addition to the presence of a vaso-occlusive crisis or infection. Acute or chronic myocardial ischemia are probably more prevalent than currently known.
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February 2003
