Sickle Cell Disease

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic disorder of hemoglobin, in which sickling of red blood cells results in hemolysis and vasoocclusion. Newborn screening has led to early identification of SCD in many regions across Canada. While homozygous SCD (HbSS) is the most severe, other sickling syndromes (e.g., HbSC) may present similarly.