Hypoparathyroidism and Hypothyroidism Secondary to Hemochromatosis in Beta Thalassemia Major

Hemochromatosis, an iron metabolism disorder caused by iron overload, often runs in families. It leads to various issues like cardiomyopathy, liver cirrhosis, and hormonal imbalances. This article presents a unique case of secondary hemochromatosis resulting from repeated transfusions. A 15-year-old boy with severe beta-thalassemia major received about 600 units of packed red blood cells over nine years. This led to clinical hypoparathyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism, affecting multiple organs. Elevated ferritin and transferrin levels confirmed iron buildup, visible on MRI scans in the liver, pancreas, skeleton, heart, and thyroid gland. Such widespread organ involvement due to transfusion-related hemochromatosis is rare and makes this case noteworthy, especially considering the scarcity of similar reports in Pakistan.