Pulmonary Hypertension in Sickle Cell Disease

Sickle cell disease was first described in 1910 by Herrick and Irons. The irregularly shaped blood cells observed by Irons were those of Walter Clement Noel, a dental student with symptoms that included joint pain and shortness of breath. After graduation, Dr. Noel returned to his native Grenada, where he died suddenly at 32 years of age. Although the cause of death was recorded as pneumonia, his death was most likely the result of sudden, undetected pulmonary hypertension.Today, we know that pulmonary hypertension and chronic lung disease are two of the most common causes of death among patients with . . .