Pattern of Paediatric Radiological Findings in Children with Sickle Cell Disease at University College Hospital, Ibadan

Sickle cell disease produces a wide range of skeletal and visceral radiological manifestations that are important for clinical management and complication monitoring, and documenting the pattern of these findings in paediatric patients at a major South West Nigerian teaching hospital provides clinically relevant epidemiological data. This study examines the pattern of radiological findings in paediatric sickle cell disease patients at University College Hospital, Ibadan. A retrospective descriptive design is employed, reviewing 250 radiological examination reports from children aged 0 to 15 years with confirmed sickle cell disease who attended the haematology and radiology departments from 2020 to 2023. Data extracted include modality used, anatomical system examined, specific radiological findings, and correlation with clinical presentations. Descriptive statistics and frequency analysis are computed in SPSS. Available paediatric sickle cell radiology literature from South West Nigeria identifies avascular necrosis of the femoral head, periosteal reaction in bone crises, splenomegaly in younger children, and acute chest syndrome findings on chest radiography as the most frequently encountered radiological manifestations. The American Society of Hematology sickle cell disease monitoring guidelines provide the clinical reference for correlating radiological findings with disease management. Findings are expected to confirm chest radiography and skeletal radiography as the highest-volume imaging categories, with bone crisis-related findings being the most frequent skeletal diagnosis. Recommendations address dedicated sickle cell disease radiology monitoring protocols and radiographer education on disease-specific imaging features at UCH Ibadan. Keywords: sickle cell disease, paediatric radiology, radiological findings, University College Hospital, Ibadan.