title: Prevalence of hepatosplenomegaly in beta thalassemia minor subjects in Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Thalassemia is the most common hereditary blood disorder in the world. Iran is located on the thalassemic belt and there is a high prevalence of the hepatosplenomegaly in beta thalassemia minor patients which is reported to be very variable. The goal of this research was to study the frequency of these signs in the cases with beta thalassemia minor patients in Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and fifty-nine cases that referred to center for pre-marriage tests were divided into two groups according to their MCV, MCH, and HbA2 (beta thalassemia minor cases and control groups). Liver and spleen sizes were determined by ultrasonographic method and the two groups were compared with each other.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Average spleen volumes in case and control groups were 163.48+/-133.97 and 126.29+/-53.98mm(3), respectively. Average spleen lengths in case and control groups were 10.71+/-1.52 and 10.60+/-5.4cm, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the regions with high frequency of beta thalassemia, in case of finding large spleen size in the ultrasonography, a probable harmless differential diagnosis will be beta thalassemia minor that is not indicative of any serious disease. Volumetric measurement of spleen is more reliable for detection of splenomegaly in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Hemostasis and Thrombosis Unit, Hematology Research Center, school of Medicine, Shiraz University of medical sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Karimim@sums.ac.ir
authors.forename: Mehran
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karimi
authors.forename: Mohammad Hadi
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Bagheri
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tahmtan
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shakibafard
authors.forename: Murtaza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rashid
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008099:Liver / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013154:Spleen / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*