Sickle-cell disease laboratory findings

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Aarti Narayan, M.B.B.S [2], Shyam Patel [3]

Overview

The most important laboratory test for sickle cell anemia is a complete blood count (CBC), specifically hemoglobin and hematocrit.

Laboratory findings consistent with the diagnosis of sickle cell disease include:^[1]^[2]

Anemia
High reticulocyte count (greater than 1.5%)
Target cells and Howell-Jolly bodies on pripheral blood smear
Abnormal hemoglobin forms on hemoglobin electrophoresis (Sickle-cell hemoglobin (HgbS) and hemoglobin C with sickling (HgbSC) are the two most common forms)

↑ West MS, Wethers D, Smith J, Steinberg M (August 1992). “Laboratory profile of sickle cell disease: a cross-sectional analysis. The Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease”. J Clin Epidemiol. 45 (8): 893–909. PMID 1624972.
↑ Bernard AW, Venkat A, Lyons MS (April 2006). “Best evidence topic report. Full blood count and reticulocyte count in painful sickle crisis”. Emerg Med J. 23 (4): 302–3. doi:10.1136/emj.2006.035154. PMC 2579511. PMID 16549581.