Histopathological Patterns and Early Postoperative Complications among Patients with Surgically Treated Thyroid Diseases at Bugando Medical Centre, Mwanza, Tanzania

Background: Thyroid diseases are among the leading endocrine disorders affecting a large proportion of people worldwide and show geographical variation in incidence and histopathological pattern related to age, sex, dietary and environmental factors. Histopathological patterns of surgically treated thyroid diseases play an important role in early diagnosis and management of these diseases. There is, however, limited published data regarding histopathological reports on thyroid disease in our local setting. This study aimed to determine the histopathological patterns and highlight early postoperative complications among patients with surgically treated thyroid diseases at Bugando Medical Centre (BMC). Methods: This was a longitudinal study involving all patients with surgically treated thyroid diseases seen at BMC over a period of 6 months from October 2019 to March 2020. Results: A total of 84 patients were studied. Females outnumbered males by a female to male ratio of 11:1. The median age of patients was 44 [IQR, 35 - 54] years old, the youngest was 14 years old and the oldest was 76 years old. Colloid goiter was the most common non-neoplastic lesion accounting for 34 (44.7%) patients. Among the neoplastic lesions, follicular adenoma was the most commonly encountered benign pathologies (n = 16;21.1%), while papillary carcinoma was the most commonly encountered malignancy (n = 4;50%). Following thyroidectomy, 12 (14.3%) patients developed early complications, of which hemorrhage sometimes requiring blood transfusion was the leading intra/postoperative complications accounting for 4 (33.3%) patients. Other complications include temporary recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy 2 (16.7%), surgical site infection 2 (16.7%) and tracheomalacia, bronchospasm, thyroid abscess and respiratory obstruction in 1 (8.3%) patient each, respectively. In this study, malignant thyroid lesion (p Conclusion: This study demonstrated that colloid goiter was the most common non-neoplastic lesion, and on the neoplastic category, follicular adenoma was the most common benign lesion, while papillary carcinoma was the most frequent malignant lesion.

Predicting short-term major postoperative complications in intestinal resection for Crohn’s disease:A machine learning-based study

BACKGROUND Due to the complexity and numerous comorbidities associated with Crohn’s disease(CD),the incidence of postoperative complications is high,significantly impacting the recovery and prognosis of patients.Consequently,additional stu-dies are required to precisely predict short-term major complications following intestinal resection(IR),aiding surgical decision-making and optimizing patient care.AIM To construct novel models based on machine learning(ML)to predict short-term major postoperative complications in patients with CD following IR.METHODS A retrospective analysis was performed on clinical data derived from a patient cohort that underwent IR for CD from January 2017 to December 2022.The study participants were randomly allocated to either a training cohort or a validation cohort.The logistic regression and random forest(RF)were applied to construct models in the training cohort,with model discrimination evaluated using the area under the curves(AUC).The validation cohort assessed the performance of the constructed models.RESULTS Out of the 259 patients encompassed in the study,5.0%encountered major postoperative complications(Clavien-Dindo≥III)within 30 d following IR for CD.The AUC for the logistic model was 0.916,significantly lower than the AUC of 0.965 for the RF model.The logistic model incorporated a preoperative CD activity index(CDAI)of≥220,a diminished preoperative serum albumin level,conversion to laparotomy surgery,and an extended operation time.A nomogram for the logistic model was plotted.Except for the surgical approach,the other three variables ranked among the top four important variables in the novel ML model.CONCLUSION Both the nomogram and RF exhibited good performance in predicting short-term major postoperative complic-ations in patients with CD,with the RF model showing more superiority.A preoperative CDAI of≥220,a di-minished preoperative serum albumin level,and an extended operation time might be the most crucial variables.The findings of this study can assist clinicians in identifying patients at a higher risk for complications and offering personalized perioperative management to enhance patient outcomes.

Can serious postoperative complications in patients with Crohn’s disease be predicted using machine learning?

The routine introduction of novel anti-inflammatory therapies into the mana-gement algorithms of patients with Crohn’s disease over the last 2 decades has not substantially changed the likelihood of ultimate surgery.Rather it has delayed the operative need and altered the presentation phenotype.The prospect of complic-ations continues to remain high in this modern era but depending upon the cohort assessed,it remains difficult to make strict comparisons between individual spe-cialist centres.Those patients who present rather late after their diagnosis with a septic complication like an intra-abdominal abscess and a penetrating/fistulizing pattern of disease are more likely to have a complicated course particularly if they have clinical features such as difficult percutaneous access to the collection or multilocularity both of which can make preoperative drainage unsuccessful.Eq-ually,those cases with extensive adhesions where an initial laparoscopic approach needs open conversion and where there is an extended operative time,unsur-prisingly will suffer more significant complications that impact their length of hospital stay.The need for a protective stoma also introduces its own derivative costs,utilizing a range of health resources as well as resulting in important alte-rations in quality of life outcomes.Having established the parameters of the pro-blem can the statistical analysis of the available data identify high-risk cases,promote the notion of centralization of specialist services or improve the allo-cation of disease-specific health expenditure?

Machine learning in predicting postoperative complications in Crohn’s disease

Crohn's disease(CD)is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease of unknown origin that can cause significant disability and morbidity with its progression.Due to the unique nature of CD,surgery is often necessary for many patients during their lifetime,and the incidence of postoperative complications is high,which can affect the prognosis of patients.Therefore,it is essential to identify and manage post-operative complications.Machine learning(ML)has become increasingly im-portant in the medical field,and ML-based models can be used to predict post-operative complications of intestinal resection for CD.Recently,a valuable article titled“Predicting short-term major postoperative complications in intestinal resection for Crohn's disease:A machine learning-based study”was published by Wang et al.We appreciate the authors'creative work,and we are willing to share our views and discuss them with the authors.

Influencing factors and preventive measures of infectious complications after intestinal resection for Crohn’s disease

The incidence of Crohn’s disease(CD)has increased in recent years,with most patients requiring intestinal resection.Complications after intestinal resection for CD can lead to poor prognosis and recurrence,among which infectious complic-ations are the most common.This study aimed to investigate the common risk factors,including medications,preoperative nutritional status,surgery-related factors,microorganisms,lesion location and type,and so forth,causing infectious complications after intestinal resection for CD,and to propose corresponding preventive measures.The findings provided guidance for identifying suscept-ibility factors and the early intervention and prevention of infectious complic-ations after intestinal resection for CD in clinical practice.

Machine learning as a tool predicting short-term postoperative complications in Crohn’s disease patients undergoing intestinal resection: What frontiers?

The recent study,“Predicting short-term major postoperative complications in intestinal resection for Crohn’s disease:A machine learning-based study”invest-igated the predictive efficacy of a machine learning model for major postoperative complications within 30 days of surgery in Crohn’s disease(CD)patients.Em-ploying a random forest analysis and Shapley Additive Explanations,the study prioritizes factors such as preoperative nutritional status,operative time,and CD activity index.Despite the retrospective design’s limitations,the model’s robu-stness,with area under the curve values surpassing 0.8,highlights its clinical potential.The findings align with literature supporting preoperative nutritional therapy in inflammatory bowel diseases,emphasizing the importance of compre-hensive assessment and optimization.While a significant advancement,further research is crucial for refining preoperative strategies in CD patients.

Extraintestinal manifestations and complications in inflammatory bowel diseases

Crohn＇s disease （CD） and ulcerative colitis （UC） are chronic inflammatory bowel diseases （IBD） that often involve organs other than those of the gastrointestinal tract. These nonintestinal affections are termed extraintestinal symptoms. Differentiating the true extraintestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel diseases from secondary extraintestinal complications, caused by malnutrition, chronic inflammation or side effects of therapy, may be difficult. This review concentrates on frequency, clinical presentation and therapeutic implications of extraintestinal symptoms in inflammatory bowel diseases. If possible, extraintestinal manifestations are differentiated from extraintestinal complications. Special attention is given to the more recently described sites of involvement; i.e. thromboembolic events, osteoporosis, pulmonary involvement and affection of the central nervous system.

Complications of airway self-expandable metallic stent in benign airway diseases

Objectives: To present the complications of Ultraflex Self-Expandable Metallic Stents (SEMSs) applied in patients with benign tracheobronchial diseases. Methods: Eighty patients received 124 SEMSs were retrospectively reviewed in a tertiary hospital. Results: The baseline characteristics of patients received SEMS implantation including age (mean + standard deviation: 62.5 + 14.8 years), gender (male, 60.5%), smoking (46.8%), forced expiratory volume in first one second (FEV1) (mean + standard deviation, 0.92 +0.41 L/s), follow-up days after SEMS implantation (median (interquartile range);457 (131 - 897)) and covered SEMS (33.9%) were listed. Symptoms improved after SEMS implantation among 95 patients (76.6%). Time to complications developed was 236 (median;interquartile range, 59 - 672) days. The overall complication rate was 41.9% after SEMS implantation. The complications included SEMS migration (6.5%), granuloma (19.3%) and SEMS fracture (16.1%). Successful management rates of SEMS migration, granuloma and SEMS fracture were up to 100%, 83.3%, and 85% respectively. Conclusions: Patients received SEMS implantation due to benign conditions had poor lung function and were old. The complication rate in patients with benign conditions was high after longer follow-up period, however, successful management achieved in most patients with complications.

Risk of cardiovascular,cardiac and arrhythmic complications in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)has emerged as a public health problem of epidemic proportions worldwide.Accumulating clinical and epidemiological evidence indicates that NAFLD is not only associated with liver-related morbidity and mortality but also with an increased risk of coronary heart disease(CHD),abnormalities of cardiac function and structure(e.g.,left ventricular dysfunction and hypertrophy,and heart failure),valvular heart disease(e.g.,aortic valve sclerosis)and arrhythmias(e.g.,atrial fibrillation).Experimental evidence suggests that NAFLD itself,especially in its more severe forms,exacerbates systemic/hepatic insulin resistance,causes atherogenic dyslipidemia,and releases a variety of pro-inflammatory,pro-coagulant and pro-fibrogenic mediators that may play important roles in the pathophysiology of cardiac and arrhythmic complications.Collectively,these findings suggest that patients with NAFLD may benefit from more intensive surveillance and early treatment interventions to decrease the risk for CHD and other cardiac/arrhythmic complications.The purpose of this clinical review is to summarize the rapidly expanding body of evidence that supports a strong association between NAFLD and cardiovascular,cardiac and arrhythmic complications,to briefly examine the putative biological mechanisms underlying this association,and to discuss some of the current treatment options that may influence both NAFLD and its related cardiac and arrhythmic complications.

Risk factors and implications of anastomotic complications after surgery for Crohn's disease

Anastomotic complications occur more frequently in patients with Crohn's disease leading to postoperative intra-abdominal septic complications(IASC). Patients with IASC often require re-operation or drainage to controlthe sepsis and have an increased frequency of disease recurrence. The aim of this article was to examine the factors affecting postoperative IASC in Crohn's disease after anastomoses, since some risk factors remain controversial. Studies investigating IASC in Crohn's operations were included, and all risk factors associated with IASC were evaluated: nutritional status, presence of abdominal sepsis, medication use, Crohn's disease type, duration of disease, prior operations for Crohn's, anastomotic technique, extent of resection, operative timing, operative length, and perioperative bleeding. In this review, the factors associated with an increased risk of IASC are preoperative weight loss, abdominal abscess present at time of surgery, prior operation, and steroid use. To prevent IASC in Crohn's patients, preoperative optimization with nutritional supplementation or drainage of abscess should be performed, or a diverting stoma should be considered for patients with multiple risk factors.

Pulmonary complications in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease following transthoracic esophagectomy

AIM： To investigate the incidence of various types of postoperative pulmonary complications （POPCs） and to evaluate the significance of perioperative arterial blood gases in patients with esophageal cancer accompanied with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） after esophagectomy. MEHTODS： Three hundred and fifty-eight patients were divided into POPC group and COPD group. We performed a retrospective review of the 358 consecutive patients after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer with or without COPD to assess the possible influence of COPD on postoperative pulmonary complications. We classified COPD into four grades according to percent-predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s （FEV1） and analyzed the incidence rate of complications among the four grades. Perioperative arterial blood gases were tested in patients with or without pulmonary complications in COPD group and compared with POP（： group. RESULTS： Patients with COPD （29/86, 33.7%）had more pulmonary complications than those without COPD （36/272, 13.2%） （P〈0.001）. Pneumonia （15/29, 51.7%）, atelectasis （13/29, 44.8%）, prolonged 02 supplement （10/29, 34.5%）, and prolonged mechanical ventilation （8/29, 27.6%） were the major complications in COPD group. Moreover, patients with severe COPD （grade Ⅱ B, FEV1 〈 50% of predicted） had more POPCs than those with moderate（gradeⅡA,50%-80% of predicted） and mild （grade Ⅰ≥80% of predicted） COPD （P〈0.05）. PaO2 was decreased and PaCO2 was increased in patients with pulmonary complications in COPD group in the first postoperative week.CONCLUSION： The criteria of COPD are the critical predictor for pulmonary complications in esophageal cancer patients undergoing esophagectomy. Severity of COPD affects the incidence rate of the pulmonary complication,and percent-predicted FEV1 is a good predictive variable for pulmonary complication in patients-with COPD.Arterial blood gases are helpful in directing perioperative management.

Preventing infective complications in inflammatory bowel disease

Over the past decade there has been a dramatic change in the treatment of patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, which comprise the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). This is due to the increasing use of immunosuppressives and in particular the biological agents, which are being used earlier in the course of disease, and for longer durations, as these therapies result in better clinical outcomes for patients. This, however, has the potential to increase the risk of opportunistic and serious infections in these patients, most of which are preventable. Much like the risk for potential malignancy resulting from the use of these therapies long-term, a balance needs to be struck between medication use to control the disease with minimization of the risk of an opportunistic infection. This outcome is achieved by the physician’s tailored use of justified therapies, and the patients’ education and actions to minimize infection risk. The purpose of this review is to explore the evidence and guidelines available to all physicians managing patients with IBD using immunomodulating agents and to aid in the prevention of opportunistic infections.

Metabolic complications of psychotropic medications in psychiatric disorders:Emerging role of de novo lipogenesis and therapeutic consideration

Although significant advances have been made in understanding the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders(PDs),therapeutic advances have not been very convincing.While psychotropic medications can reduce classical symptoms in patients with PDs,their long-term use has been reported to induce or exaggerate various pre-existing metabolic abnormalities including diabetes,obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD).The mechanism(s)underlying these metabolic abnormalities is not clear;however,lipid/fatty acid accumulation due to enhanced de novo lipogenesis(DNL)has been shown to reduce membrane fluidity,increase oxidative stress and inflammation leading to the development of the aforementioned metabolic abnormalities.Intriguingly,emerging evidence suggest that DNL dysregulation and fatty acid accumulation could be the major mechanisms associated with the development of obesity,diabetes and NAFLD after long-term treatment with psychotropic medications in patients with PDs.In support of this,several adjunctive drugs comprising of anti-oxidants and antiinflammatory agents,that are used in treating PDs in combination with psychotropic medications,have been shown to reduce insulin resistance and development of NAFLD.In conclusion,the above evidence suggests that DNL could be a potential pathological factor associated with various metabolic abnormalities,and a new avenue for translational research and therapeutic drug designing in PDs.

Risk of post-operative complications associated with anti-TNF therapy in inflammatory bowel disease

There have been increasing concerns regarding the safety of perioperative anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) α agents. We performed a literature review to evaluate the post-operative complications associated with perioperative anti-TNF use in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. A comprehensive review was performed with a literature search utilizing Pub Med, Cochrane, OVID and EMBASE databases according to published guidelines. To date, there are only data for infliximab. There are three published studies which have assessed post-operative complications with perioperative infliximab use in patients with Crohn' s disease (CD), four studies in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients, and one study on both CD and UC patients. Two out of the three studies in CD patients showed no increased post-operative complications associated with perioperative infliximab. Two out of four studies in UC patients also did not show an increase in post-operative complications, and the combined study with CD and UC patients did not show an increased risk as well. Studyresults could not be combined secondary to significant differences in study designs, patient population and definition of their endpoints. There appears to be a risk of post-operative complications associated with TNF therapy in some patients. Based on these data, careful patient selection and prospective data collection should be performed.

Patients with Crohn’s disease have longer post-operative in-hospital stay than patients with colon cancer but no difference in complications’ rate

BACKGROUND Right hemicolectomy or ileocecal resection are used to treat benign conditions like Crohn’s disease(CD)and malignant ones like colon cancer(CC).AIM To investigate differences in pre-and peri-operative factors and their impact on post-operative outcome in patients with CC and CD.METHODS This is a sub-group analysis of the European Society of Coloproctology’s prospective,multi-centre snapshot audit.Adult patients with CC and CD undergoing right hemicolectomy or ileocecal resection were included.Primary outcome measure was 30-d post-operative complications.Secondary outcome measures were post-operative length of stay(LOS)at and readmission.RESULTS Three hundred and seventy-five patients with CD and 2,515 patients with CC were included.Patients with CD were younger(median=37 years for CD and 71 years for CC(P<0.01),had lower American Society of Anesthesiology score(ASA)grade(P<0.01)and less comorbidity(P<0.01),but were more likely to be current smokers(P<0.01).Patients with CD were more frequently operated on by colorectal surgeons(P<0.01)and frequently underwent ileocecal resection(P<0.01)with higher rate of de-functioning/primary stoma construction(P<0.01).Thirty-day post-operative mortality occurred exclusively in the CC group(66/2515,2.3%).In multivariate analyses,the risk of post-operative complications was similar in the two groups(OR 0.80,95%CI:0.54-1.17;P=0.25).Patients with CD had a significantly longer LOS(Geometric mean 0.87,95%CI:0.79-0.95;P<0.01).There was no difference in re-admission rates.The audit did not collect data on post-operative enhanced recovery protocols that are implemented in the different participating centers.CONCLUSION Patients with CD were younger,with lower ASA grade,less comorbidity,operated on by experienced surgeons and underwent less radical resection but had a longer LOS than patients with CC although complications'rate was not different between the two groups.

Correlation Analysis Between Changes of D-Dimer Level and Rheumatoid Arthritis Complicated with Interstitial Lung Disease

Objective:To explore the correlation between the change of D-dimer level and rheumatoid arthritis complicated with interstitial lung disease.Methods:From January 2022 to February 2024,20 rheumatoid arthritis patients complicated with interstitial lung disease(interstitial lung disease group),20 rheumatoid arthritis patients without interstitial lung disease(without interstitial lung disease group),and 20 healthy people(control group)in Xijing Hospital were selected for this study.The fasting venous blood of the three groups of subjects was collected and their D-dimer,C-reactive protein(CRP),rheumatoid factor(RF),and erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR)were detected.Subsequently,the correlation between each index and rheumatoid arthritis complicated with interstitial lung disease was analyzed.Results:The D-dimer level of the interstitial lung disease group was significantly higher than the other two groups(P<0.05).The D-dimer level of the group without interstitial lung disease was significantly higher than the control group(P<0.05).CRP levels in the interstitial lung disease group and the group without interstitial lung disease were significantly higher than those of the control group(P<0.05).The ESR and RF levels of the interstitial lung disease group were significantly higher than the other two groups(P<0.05).The levels of ESR and RF levels of the group without interstitial lung disease were significantly higher than the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:D-dimer levels of rheumatoid arthritis patients are higher than those of healthy individuals,and those complicated with interstitial lung disease present even higher levels.This finding shows that there is a correlation between D-dimer levels and rheumatoid arthritis with interstitial lung disease,which may facilitate the evaluation and diagnosis of this disease.

Ocular Complications in Sickle Cell Disease: A Neglected Issue

Sickle cell disease is a common genetic blood disorder. It causes severe systemic complications including ocular involvement. The degree of ocular complications is not necessarily based on the severity of the systemic disease. Both the anterior and posterior segments in the eye can be compromised due to pathological processes of sickle cell disease. However, ocular manifestations in the retina are considered the most important in terms of frequency and visual impairment. Eye complications could be one of the silent systemic sickle cell disease complications. Hence, periodic ophthalmic examination should be added to the prophylactic and treatment protocols. This review article is to emphasize the ocular manifestations in sickle cell disease as it is a silent complication which became neglected issue. Once the ocular complications diagnosed, then treatment to be provided in the specialized ophthalmology centers.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with worse intestinal complications in patients hospitalized for Clostridioides difficile infection

BACKGROUND Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)has become the leading cause of chronic liver disease with increasing prevalence worldwide.Clostridioides difficile infection(CDI)remains the most common cause of nosocomial diarrhea in developed countries.AIM To assess the impact of NAFLD on the outcomes of hospitalized patients with CDI.METHODS This study was a retrospective cohort study.The Nationwide Inpatient Sample database was used to identify a total of 7239 adults admitted as inpatients with a primary diagnosis of CDI and coexisting NAFLD diagnosis from 2010 to 2014 using ICD-9 codes.Patients with CDI and coexisting NAFLD were compared to those with CDI and coexisting alcoholic liver disease(ALD)and viral liver disease(VLD),individually.Primary outcomes included mortality,length of stay,and total hospitalization charges.Secondary outcomes were in-hospital complications.Multivariate regression was used for outcome analysis after adjusting for possible confounders.RESULTS CDI with NAFLD was independently associated with lower rates of acute respiratory failure(2.7%vs 4.2%,P<0.01;2.7%vs 4.2%,P<0.05),shorter length of stay(days)(5.75±0.16 vs 6.77±0.15,P<0.001;5.75±0.16 vs 6.84±0.23,P<0.001),and lower hospitalization charges(dollars)(38150.34±1757.01 vs 46326.72±1809.82,P<0.001;38150.34±1757.01 vs 44641.74±1660.66,P<0.001)when compared to CDI with VLD and CDI with ALD,respectively.CDI with NAFLD was associated with a lower rate of acute kidney injury(13.0%vs 17.2%,P<0.01),but a higher rate of intestinal perforation(P<0.01)when compared to VLD.A lower rate of mortality(0.8%vs 2.7%,P<0.05)but a higher rate of intestinal obstruction(4.6%vs 2.2%,P=0.001)was also observed when comparing CDI with NAFLD to ALD.CONCLUSION Hospitalized CDI patients with NAFLD had more intestinal complications compared to CDI patients with VLD and ALD.Gut microbiota dysbiosis may contribute to the pathogenesis of intestinal complications.

Intestinal complications in patients with Crohn's disease in the Brazilian public healthcare system between 2011 and 2020

BACKGROUND This is a secondary database study using the Brazilian public healthcare system database.AIM To describe intestinal complications(ICs)of patients in the Brazilian public healthcare system with Crohn’s disease(CD)who initiated and either only received conventional therapy(CVT)or also initiated anti-tumor necrosis factor(anti-TNF)therapy between 2011 and 2020.METHODS This study included patients with CD[international classification of diseases–10th revision(ICD-10):K50.0,K50.1,or K50.8](age:≥18 years)with at least one claim of CVT(sulfasalazine,azathioprine,mesalazine,or methotrexate).IC was defined as a CD-related hospitalization,pre-defined procedure codes(from rectum or intestinal surgery groups),and/or associated disease(pre-defined ICD-10 codes),and overall(one or more type of ICs).RESULTS In the 16809 patients with CD that met the inclusion criteria,the mean follow-up duration was 4.44(2.37)years.In total,14697 claims of ICs were found from 4633 patients.Over the 1-and 5-year of follow-up,8.3%and 8.2%of the patients with CD,respectively,presented at least one IC,of which fistula(31%)and fistulotomy(48%)were the most commonly reported.The overall incidence rate(95%CI)of ICs was 6.8(6.5–7.04)per 100 patient years for patients using only-CVT,and 9.2(8.8–9.6)for patients with evidence of anti-TNF therapy.CONCLUSION The outcomes highlighted an important and constant rate of ICs over time in all the CD populations assessed,especially in patients exposed to anti-TNF therapy.This outcome revealed insights into the real-world treatment and complications relevant to patients with CD and highlights that this disease remains a concern that may require additional treatment strategies in the Brazilian public healthcare system.

Pulmonary Complications in Children with Sickle Cell Disease Followed at the Pediatric Department of Gabriel Toure University Hospital

Objective: To study the pulmonary complications of major sickle cell syndromes in children aged 6 months to 15 years followed at the Department of Pediatrics of Gabriel Toure University Hospital. Materials and methods: This was a retrospective study from January 1st, 2017 to February 28, 2018 and a prospective study from March 1, 2018 to December 31, 2019, concerning sickle cell disease children followed at the Gabriel Touré University Hospital. All children with sickle cell disease confirmed by hemoglobin electrophoresis, aged 6 months to 15 years with a pulmonary complication and admitted to pediatrics were included. Were not included: 1) Infants and children with sickle cell disease not presenting a pulmonary complication coming only to their routine follow-up. 2) Sickle cell patients over 16 years of age and those whose parents do not consent. 3) Those who have not done electrophoresis. Results: During the study period, we were able to include 45 sickle cell children with a pulmonary complication. The frequency of pulmonary complications was 13.76%, involving homozygotes in 91.11% of cases. The age group 6 - 10 years predominated with 46.66% and the sex ratio was 0.45. Vaso-occlusive crisis was the most frequent reason for consultation with 35.56%. Respiratory distress (80%), fever (66.67%), crepitus rales (64.44%) and chest pain (60%) were the most frequent clinical signs. The main pulmonary complication was acute chest syndrome with 86.67%. Treatment was based on hydration (91.91%), analgesics (91.91%) and antibiotics (73.33%). Lethality was 4.44%. Conclusion: Pulmonary complications of sickle cell disease are serious and constitute the main cause of mortality in our context.