Sickle cell anemia and comorbid leg ulcer treated with curative peripheral blood stem cell transplantation

Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) are the only curative therapies for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Once the patients have successfully undergone transplantation and engrafted, the hallmark of hemolytic anemia resolves, and normal hemoglobin levels are achieved. Some transplant protocols exclude patients with open wounds, including leg ulcers, because of infection risks associated with transplantation and long-term immunosuppression required to prevent graft-versus-host disease. Recalcitrant and recurrent leg ulcers are a serious complication of SCD and a determinant of morbidity. Here, we report the case of a 37-year-old man with sickle cell anemia and a chronic leg ulcer, who underwent PBSCT, engrafted successfully, and then had complete healing of his ulcer 16 months posttransplant.