Thalassemia Major
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New findings reported from O. Papakonstantinou and co-authors describe advances in thalassemia
2009 MAY 18 - (NewsRx.com) -- In this recent report published in the Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, researchers in Athens, Greece conducted a study "To investigate the correlation between the degree of hepatic, splenic, pancreatic. vertebral bone marrow (VBM), and myocardial siderosis. as expressed by relaxation rate (R2 = 1/T2) values, in patients with thalassemia. R2 relaxation rate values of liver, spleen, VBM, pancreas, and myocardium were estimated in 68 consecutive transfusion-dependent patients with beta-thalassemia major and 10 healthy controls using a respiratory triggered 16-echo Carr-Purcell-Melboom-Gill (CPMG) spin echo sequence." "Hepatic R2 values were significantly Increased in all 68 patients; VBM, pancreatic, and myocardial R2 values were Increased in 67/68, 35/47, and 47/61 patients, whereas five patients showed decreased pancreatic R2 attributed to fatty degeneration. Of the 39 nonsplenectomized patients, splenic R2 values were decreased in 30 and normal in nine patients. Hepatic R2 values correlated with splenie (r = 0.63, P< 0.001), VBM (r = 0.52, P< 0.001), but not with myocardial and pancreatic R2 values. Despite positive correlations between the degree of hepatic, splenic, and VBM siderosis, as expressed by respective R2 values, there was variability of Iron distribution patterns In thalassemic patients. Unpredictable parterns of iron distribution may be seen, such as normal signal of the spleen in the presence of siderotic liver, resembling primary hemochromatosis," wrote O. Papakonstantinou and colleagues. The researchers concluded: "Fatty degeneration of the pancreas was not uncommon." Papakonstantinou and colleagues published their study in the Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Assessment of Iron Distribution Between Liver, Spleen, Pancreas, Bone Marrow, and Myocardium by Means of R2 Relaxometry With MRI in Patients With beta-Thalassemia Major. Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 2009;29(4):853-859). For additional information, contact N.L. Kelekis, General University Hospital ATTIKON, Dept. of Radiol 2, Rlmini 1 Str, GR-12462 Athens, Greece. The publisher's contact information for the Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging is: John Wiley & Sons Inc., 111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA. Keywords: Greece, Athens, Beta-Thalassemia, Blood Transfusion, Bone Marrow, Gastroenterology, Hematology, Iron Overload, Magnetic Resonance, Medical Device, Pancreas, Siderosis, Thalassemia, Transfusion Medicine. This article was prepared by Gastroenterology Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Gastroenterology Week via NewsRx.com.
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