Association between endothelial dysfunction and otoneurological symptoms in children with sickle cell disease.

ABSTRACTObjective: To evaluate the association between endothelial dysfunction and otoneurological symptoms and vaso-occlusive phenomena in children with sickle cell disease (SCD).Methods: Cross-sectional study with 54 children, aged between 6 and19 years of age, of whom 28 had genotype SS and 26 apparently healthy (AA genotype) whose parents or guardians, or the children themselves, filled out a questionnaire designed to assess their otoneurological symptoms. All the individuals were submitted assessment of endothelial function by flow-mediated dilation (FMD) percentage with reactive hyperemia of brachial artery Doppler.Results: Otoneurological symptoms (tinnitus and/or vertigo) predominated in the SCD group (46.4 vs. 15.4%; p = 0.006). A negative correlation was observed between FMD percentage and time of evolution of vertigo SCD (r = −0.432; p = 0.022) and the linear regression analysis demonstrated that for every reduction in FMD percentage there was an increase in time of evolution of vertigo of 1.79...