Sickle Cell Disease (Sickle Cell Anemia): Examination

A comprehensive clinical examination is the basis for selecting further diagnostic steps:

  • General physical examination – including blood pressure, pulse, body weight, height; further:
    • Inspection (viewing).
      • Skin, mucous membranes and sclerae (white part of the eye).
    • Examination of the abdomen (abdomen)
      • Auscultation (listening) of the abdomen [bowel sounds?]
      • Percussion (tapping) of the abdomen
        • [Meteorism (flatulence): hypersonoric tapping sound.
        • Attenuation of tapping sound due to enlarged liver or spleen, tumor, urinary retention?
        • Hepatomegaly (liver enlargement) and/or splenomegaly (spleen enlargement): estimate liver and spleen size]
  • Neurological examination – in the presence of neurological symptoms.

Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.