Se estudiaron 120 pacientes adultos con anemia drepanocítica que por diferentes causas ingresaron en el Instituto de Hematología e Inmunología durante los años 1996-1997. En 16 (13,3 %) de estos enfermos se encontraron los criterios diagnósticos de la crisis de secuestro hepático. Hubo disminución significativa de la cifra de hemoglobina (p120 adult patients with sickle cell anemia that were admitted in the Institute of Hematology and Immunology due to different causes from 1996 to 1997 were studied. The diagnostic criteria of the hepatic sequestration crisis were found in 16 (13,3 %) of these individuals. A significant decrease of the figure of hemoglobin (p<0,01) and a marked increase of hepatomegaly (p < 0,01) were observed. The rise of reticulocytosis was not statistically important. The most frequent clinical symptoms were fever (62,5 %) and vasoocclusive crisis. The variables that measure the hepatic function were not significantly modified, during the crisis. The commonest histological findings were the dilatation of the hepatic sinusoids with falciform erythrocytes and hyperplasia of the kupffer cells with eritrophagocytosis. These results show that the hepatic sequestration crisis is a relatively frequent complication and it is related to acute catching of falciform erythrocytes in the hepatic sinusoids