title: MRI of the liver and the pituitary gland in patients with beta-thalassemia major: does hepatic siderosis predict pituitary iron deposition?
abstract: Our objective was to study, in thalassemic patients, if hepatic siderosis evaluated by MRI could predict the pituitary iron overload. In 36 thalassemic patients (age range 6-44 years, mean age 21.7 years) the liver/fat ratio (L/F), the pituitary/fat ratio (P/F), the liver and pituitary T2 relaxation times were evaluated, by using a multiecho spin-echo sequence. Serum ferritin levels were measured and an extensive endocrine evaluation was performed. The L/F, the P/F and pituitary T2 showed a good correlation with serum ferritin ( r=-0.55, r=-0.55 and r=-0.53, respectively; p<0.01). Liver T2 did not show significant correlation with serum ferritin. The variability of L/F explained only the 10.8% of the variability of pituitary T2 and of the P/F. When ferritin was added to the model it predicted only the 26.85% and the 30.8% of the variability of pituitary T2 and of the P/F, respectively. The P/F and pituitary T2 were lower in patients with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (group 1) compared with those without pituitary dysfunction (group 2). No significant differences of L/F were found between the two groups. Hepatic iron overload evaluated by MR is a poor predictor of pituitary siderosis. The MR studies of the pituitary gland might be necessary to evaluate the pituitary iron overload.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece. margyrop@cc.uoi.gr
authors.forename: Maria I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Argyropoulou
authors.forename: Dimitrios N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Kiortsis
authors.forename: Stavros C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Efremidis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D006065:Gonadotropins, Pituitary / Q000172:deficiency; D006801:Humans; D007006:Hypogonadism / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012806:Siderosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D006065:Gonadotropins, Pituitary; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron