A Teenager's Face Swelled During a Sickle Cell Crisis, and His Skull Bones Were Quietly Dying Underneath

A 16-year-old with sickle cell disease arrived at a Cincinnati emergency department with a three-day headache and lower back pain. A CT scan of his head showed no acute findings. His headache eased; he was treated for a pain crisis and sent home.

Three days later, he was back, and his face was swelling.