TOWER VERTEBRA - A NEW OBSERVATION IN SICKLE-CELL DISEASE

Background. Skeletal abnormalities are common in sickle cell anemia. I schemia, infarction, and growth disturbance of the thoracic and lumbar vertebral bodies are among the most common abnormalities, and can sug gest the diagnosis radiographically. Design and patients. We recently encountered two adult patients in whom vertebrae had grown abnormally in height adjacent to infarcted short vertebrae. We then reviewed the thoracic and lumbar spine radiographs of 54 more adult patients with s ickle cell anemia. Results and conclusion. A total of eight patients ( 14%) displayed infarcted vertebrae with compensatory vertical growth o f at least one adjacent vertebrae. These resemble the elongated verteb ral bodies associated with other conditions. We can find no prior repo rt of this finding in association with sickle cell anemia.