Hepatic Iron Deposition Among Thalassemia Children

Background: : Beta thalassemia is a major cause of anemia and it is associated with multiple blood transfusion. the commonest adverse events of multiple blood transfusion is iron deposition in soft tissues as liver and heart . Recently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a highly sensitive and reproducible technique for detection of tissue iron content and estimation of iron overload in different organs even before development of symptoms Purpose: to assess the diagnostic accuracy of hepatic MRI T2* in diagnosis of iron deposition in the liver among thalassemia patients.Methods: The study included 50 thalassemia patients, 18 males & 32 females aged from 7 to 18 years with multiple blood transfusions. Demographics and disease related data were collected. CBC , serum ferritin and liver enzymes were done . All patients were examined by hepatic T2* MRI for hepatic iron depositions and patients were divided into 4 groups according to presence of iron depositions and degree of iron depositions.Results: There were statistically significant differences between patients with and without hepatic iron depositions as regard disease duration, duration of blood transfusion and frequency of blood transfusion. Also, ferritin levels were higher significantly among patients with hepatic iron deposition. Hepatic T2* correlated significantly to ferritin and myocardium T2*. There were statistically significant differences between mild, moderate and severe disease groups as regard disease duration, duration of blood transfusion and frequency of blood transfusion and serum ferritin.Conclusion: Hepatic MRI T2* is a good diagnostic tool for detection of heaptic iron depositions.