Abstract
Background: Thalassemia patients have diabetes mellitus subaltern to hemosiderosis.
Aim of Study: To asses iron overload in pancreas of pediatrics beta-thalassemia major patients by T2* gradient echo MRI and to correlate results of MRI with serum ferritin level, hepatic hemosiderosis, diabetes and spleen removal.
Patients and Methods: 20 patients with thalassemia major (11 males and 9 females) were evaluated with MRI using T2* gradient echo sequence on 1.5 magnet and signal intensity ratio of the liver and the pancreas were calculated in addition to clinical assessment and laboratory investigation.
Results: Striking reduction in hepatic and pancreatic signal intensity ratio was appeared in the twenty patients contrasted with controls. Patients with anomalous glucose tolerance demonstrating a more level of secondary hemosi-derosis in the form of low signal intensity of pancreas and hepatic tissue contrasted with patients with typical glucose tolerance or controls. Surgical removal of the spleen had essentially bring down SIR of pancreas contrasted with intact spleen patients (p<0.047).
Conclusions: T2* GRE MRI assume a vital part in detec-tion of iron over-burden. After spleen removed, iron deposition might be more out of control in the pancreas.