Transfusional hemosiderosis in sickle cell anemia: another cause of an echogenic pancreas.
We report four sickle cell anemia patients who have received multiple blood transfusions and have been non-compliant on Desferal chelation therapy. Abdominal ultrasonography demonstrated an echogenic pancreas in all four patients. Magnetic resonance imaging in three patients revealed decreased signal intensity in all sequences in the pancreas and liver. All four patients had marked iron deposition on liver biopsy. To our knowledge, increased echogenicity of the pancreas secondary to hemosiderosis (2 degrees hemochromatosis) in sickle cell patients has not been reported in the radiologic literature.
Department of Radiology, State University of New York, Health Science Center, Brooklyn 11203.
M A
MA
Flyer
J O
JO
Haller
R
R
Sundaram
D000293:Adolescent; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006486:Hemosiderosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D010179:Pancreas / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D014463:Ultrasonography
D007501:Iron