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Anemia falciforme

Last reviewed: 17 Aug 2025
Last updated: 09 Jul 2025

Summary

Definition

History and exam

Key diagnostic factors

  • pai(s) diagnosticado(s) com anemia falciforme, outra doença falciforme ou traço falciforme
  • dor esquelética, torácica e/ou abdominal persistente
  • dactilite
Full details

Other diagnostic factors

  • temperatura elevada
  • síndrome semelhante à pneumonia
  • dor óssea
  • moscas volantes
  • taquipneia
  • retardo do crescimento pôndero-estatural
  • palidez
  • icterícia
  • taquicardia
  • letargia
  • hipertrofia do maxilar com sobremordida
  • abdome protuberante, frequentemente com hérnia umbilical
  • sopro cardíaco sistólico
  • choque
Full details

Risk factors

  • genética
Full details

Diagnostic tests

1st tests to order

  • ensaios com base no ácido desoxirribonucleico (DNA)
  • focalização isoelétrica da hemoglobina (IEF Hb)
  • eletroforese de acetato de celulose
  • cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência (HPLC)
  • teste de solubilidade da hemoglobina
  • esfregaço de sangue periférico
  • hemograma completo e contagem de reticulócitos
  • perfil de ferro
Full details

Tests to consider

  • oximetria de pulso
  • radiografia simples de ossos longos
  • culturas bacterianas
  • radiografia torácica
Full details

Emerging tests

  • teste pré-natal não invasivo (TPNI)

Treatment algorithm

ACUTE

crise vaso-oclusiva

síndrome torácica aguda

ONGOING

doenças crônicas

Contributors

Authors

Sophie Lanzkron, MD, MHS

Director

Sickle Cell Center for Adults

Associate Professor of Medicine and Oncology

Johns Hopkins Medicine

Baltimore

MD

Disclosures

SL declares consultancy (Bluebird bio, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Novartis, Magenta); honoraria (Novartis); research funding (Imara, Novartis, GBT, Takeda, CSL-Behring, HRSA, PCORI, MD CHRC); stocks (Pfizer, Teva). SL is on the executive board of the National Alliance for Sickle Cell Centers (uncompensated).

Acknowledgements

Dr Sophie Lanzkron would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Channing Paller, a previous contributor to this topic.

Disclosures

CP declares that she has no competing interests.

Peer reviewers

James Bradner, MD

Instructor in Medicine

Division of Hematologic Neoplasia

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Boston

MA

Disclosures

JB declares that he has no competing interests.

Adrian Stephens, MB BS, MD, FRCPath

Consultant Haematologist

University College London Hospitals

London

UK

Disclosures

AS declares that he has no competing interests.

Peer reviewer acknowledgements

BMJ Best Practice topics are updated on a rolling basis in line with developments in evidence and guidance. The peer reviewers listed here have reviewed the content at least once during the history of the topic.

Disclosures

Peer reviewer affiliations and disclosures pertain to the time of the review.

References

Our in-house evidence and editorial teams collaborate with international expert contributors and peer reviewers to ensure that we provide access to the most clinically relevant information possible.

Key articles

Bain BJ, Daniel Y, Henthorn J, et al. Significant haemoglobinopathies: a guideline for screening and diagnosis: a British Society for Haematology guideline. Br J Haematol. 2023 Jun;201(6):1047-65.Full text  Abstract

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Evidence-based management of sickle cell disease: expert panel report, 2014. Sep 2014 [internet publication].Full text

DeBaun MR, Jordan LC, King AA, et al. American Society of Hematology 2020 guidelines for sickle cell disease: prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cerebrovascular disease in children and adults. Blood Adv. 2020 Apr 28;4(8):1554-88.Full text  Abstract

Chou ST, Alsawas M, Fasano RM, et al. American Society of Hematology 2020 guidelines for sickle cell disease: transfusion support. Blood Adv. 2020 Jan 28;4(2):327-55.Full text  Abstract

Trompeter S, Massey E, Robinson S, et al. Position paper on International Collaboration for Transfusion Medicine (ICTM) Guideline 'Red blood cell specifications for patients with hemoglobinopathies: a systematic review and guideline'. Br J Haematol. 2020 May;189(3):424-27.Full text  Abstract

Reference articles

A full list of sources referenced in this topic is available to users with access to all of BMJ Best Practice.
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