Pulmonary iron overload in thalassemia major presenting as small airway disease.
Lung function abnormalities that are associated with thalassemia major are variable with etiology that is yet undetermined. Some studies have suggested that pulmonary iron deposition is a probable cause for these lung defects although there has been no antemortem histopathological and radiological evidence for this. We report a case of thalassemia major with biopsy-proven pulmonary iron overload, in which thoracic high-resolution computed tomography revealed a morphological-functional correlation consistent with small airway disease.
Ooi
G C
GC
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, China. cgcooi@hkucc.hku.hk
Khong
P L
PL
Lam
W K
WK
Trendell-Smith
N J
NJ
Tsang
K W T
KW
D000328:Adult; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology*; D001706:Biopsy; D015913:Chelation Therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003676:Deferoxamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006485:Hemosiderin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000150:complications; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019190:Iron Overload / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000150:complications; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D010349:Patient Compliance; D013156:Splenectomy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy
D007328:Insulin; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D006485:Hemosiderin; D003676:Deferoxamine