Effect of transfusion therapy on transcranial Doppler ultrasonography velocities in children with sickle cell disease.

Background Children with sickle cell disease and abnormal transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasonography have a high risk of stroke, but this risk is greatly reduced when chronic transfusion therapy is administered. The change in TCD velocities during chronic transfusion therapy and rate and frequency of normalization of TCD findings have not been studied extensively.