Background: Sickle-cell trait (SCT) is a common genetic abnormality in the Indian population. Though SCT is largely a benign disorder, it can rarely present with complications such as splenic infarction.
Case Presentation: Here, we report the case of a 27-year-old Muslim male developed acute left upper quadrant abdominal pain and constipation while visiting a hill station, Ooty (Tamil Nadu, India). The patient had a history of similar complaint while visiting the same hill station while he was a student and was hospitalized and treated as acute gastritis. He also gave a history of abdominal pain while traveling in the airplane to Qatar where he works.
Conclusion: Our patient had multiple episodes of abdominal pain while flying and visiting hill station, but the diagnosis of SCT was not suspected probably due to the above reasons. However, it is very important to evaluate patients with recurrent abdominal pain in higher altitudes for SCT as it can result in its early diagnosis of splenic infarction and timely initiation of appropriate management, which can lead to good prognosis.
Key words: Splenic infarction; sickle cell trait; hill station
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