Hemoglobin K-Woolwich (Hb KW): Its Combination with Sickle Cell Trait ()
Affiliation(s)
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Department of Pediatrics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA.
Division of Hematology/Oncology, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
ABSTRACT
Hemoglobin K-Woolwich (Hb KW)
is a rare hemoglobin variant with very few cases reported. It is most prevalent
in West African countries, particularly Nigeria, Ghana, and the Ivory Coast.
Some reports suggest Hb KW may be a clinically benign trait, whereas others
indicate it may behave similarly to a β+
thalassemia. The combination of hemoglobin S and hemoglobin KW (Hb S/KW) is a
rare double heterozygous disorder with little known clinical characteristics.
We report the hematologic and clinical data on three patients with Hb S/KW to
help describe the characteristics of this patient population. The first two
cases represent first cousins, ages 3 and 2 years. They are clinically
asymptomatic. They have normal hemoglobin and mean corpuscle volume (MCV)
levels without reticulocytosis. The third case is of a 14-year-old male who is
non-anemic with no microcytosis. He has been clinically well except for
abdominal pain upon dehydration. On hemoglobin electrophoresis, these patients
have Hb S levels slightly higher than typically observed with sickle cell trait
and a delay of hemoglobin F to adult levels. There exists a need for more
reports to better delineate the clinical course and management of these
patients.
Share and Cite:
Sharma, R. , Rhodes, M. , Varga, E. and Kahwash, S. (2014) Hemoglobin K-Woolwich (Hb KW): Its Combination with Sickle Cell Trait.
Open Journal of Pathology,
4, 110-115. doi:
10.4236/ojpathology.2014.43017.