Background The influence of phenotype on the clinical course and laboratory features of sickle cell anemia (SCA) is rarely described in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in Kinshasa. A clinical phenotype score was built up. The following definitions were applied: asymptomatic clinical phenotype (ACP; score≤5), moderate clinical phenotype (MCP; score between 6 and 15), and severe clinical phenotype (SCP; score≥16). ANOVA test were used to compare differences among categorical variables. Results We have studied 140 patients. The mean body mass index (BMI) value of three groups was lower (