What type of crisis is most commonly associated with sickle cell disease?

Sickle cell disease is primarily associated with vaso-occlusive crisis. In patients with sickle cell disease, the abnormal shape of the red blood cells leads to increased viscosity and can obstruct small blood vessels, resulting in pain and ischemia. The vaso-occlusive crisis occurs when these sickled cells clump together and block blood flow, causing severe pain episodes, often in the chest, abdomen, or joints. This phenomenon is a hallmark of the disease and can lead to complications due to inadequate oxygen supply to tissues.

Although other types of crises, such as hemolytic, aplastic, and sequestration crises, can occur in sickle cell disease, they are not as common as vaso-occlusive crises. Hemolytic crises arise from the rapid destruction of red blood cells, aplastic crises are due to cessation of red blood cell production usually from infections, and sequestration crises occur when sickle cells pool in the spleen, leading to splenic enlargement and potentially severe complications.