Table 1.
Acute manifestations of SCD | Clinical presentation |
Biochemical changes |
Management | ||
Transaminase (AST, ALT) levels | Bilirubin | Alkaline phosphatase | |||
Acute sickle cell hepatic crisis | Fever, acute onset RUQ pain, jaundice and tender hepatomegaly | Normal to 3 × upper normal | Upto 15 mg/dL, mainly conjugated | Normal to slight elevation | Supportive with treatment of SCD crisis |
Acute Hepatic sequestration | Acute onset RUQ pain, hepatomegaly and anemia | Normal | Upto 24 mg/dL, mainly conjugated | Can go upto 650 IU/L | Supportive with blood or exchange transfusion |
Acute intrahepatic cholestasis | Fever, RUQ pain rapidly progressing to acute liver failure | Elevated usually > 1000 | Elevated in 100 s, mostly conjugated | Normal or elevated > 1000 IU/L | Supportive, exchange transfusion, correction of coagulopathy? Liver transplant |
SCD: Sickle cell disease; AST: Aspartate transaminase; ALT: Alanine transaminase; RUQ: Right upper quadrant.