A Comprehensive Guide To Sickle Cell Anemia

How Is It Diagnosed?

Sickle cell anemia can be diagnosed in a few different ways. One way is the abnormal sickle-shaped cells in the blood can be identified under a microscope, where a smear of blood is extracted and tested using a special low-oxygen preparation known as a sickle prep. Other prep tests can also identify the abnormal hemoglobin in the blood, including solubility tests performed on vials of blood solutions. The disease can be determined by quantifying the types of hemoglobin present using hemoglobin electrophoresis, which precisely identifies the hemoglobins in the blood by separating them. This is made possible due to the unique electrical charges each hemoglobin has on their protein surfaces. Prenatal diagnosis can also occur before birth if the mother suffers from sickle cell anemia, or is at least a carrier, by using amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling. The sample obtained from the womb is then tested for DNA analysis of the fetal cells.

Keep reading to unearth the variety of treatment options available to patients dealing with the disease.