SCD can be accompanied by various physical and emotional/mental complications. Physical complications may include:
- Acute chest syndrome
- Blindness
- Cardiomegaly
- Cerebrovascular accident
- Chronic organ damage
- Chronic pain
- Chronic skin ulceration
- Hematuria and renal dysfunction
- Hepatomegaly
- Infections and sepsis
- Necrosis of bone marrow, bone, and joints
- Osteomyelitis
- Priapism
- Pulmonary arterial hypertension
- Stroke
In addition, post-treatment complications that result from repeated transfusions and pharmacotherapy may also occur.
Emotional complications include anxiety and depression.
