Morphine for the Treatment of Pain in Sickle Cell Disease

Figure 3

Proposed model of mast cell mediated as well as direct effects of morphine on vascular dysfunction and organ damage. Directly as well as via mast cell activation morphine may augment vascular dysfunction and inflammation. Through its multicellular and organ specific activities, morphine may influence hyperalgesia (pain), retinopathy, pruritis, stroke, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and nephropathy in SCD.