Pain drawings and sickle cell disease pain.

This study examined the relationship of pain drawings to somatization in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Sixty-nine adult patients with SCD completed a pain drawing in which they shaded in areas of the body in which they experienced pain and also completed the symptom checklist (SCL) 90-R as an index of psychological distress. Analysis of variance indicated that patients who were categorized as having pain drawings with sites inconsistent with expected SCD pain patterns had somatization scores in the clinically significant range. The results suggest that health care professionals who treat SCD patients need to consider pain patterns. In individuals with pain patterns atypical for SCD, the psychological status of the patient may need to be evaluated to facilitate optimal pain management.