Differentiation between bone infarction and bone infection in sickle cell disease has traditionally been difficult, even with modern imaging techniques, and widespread antibiotic use is common. Early differentiation between the two conditions would enable more appropriate targeting of radiological investigations, antibiotics and surgery, and avoid un-necessary antibiotic usage. At our tertiary paediatric sickle cell centre, we have developed a sequencing protocol to be able to accurately differentiate between infection and infarction in sickle cell children using Magnetic Resonance (MR) Imaging. We have undertaken a preliminary retrospective study to analyse clinical and laboratory parameters in these children to see whether earlier differentiation prior to MR imaging is possible.Aim
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