One-stop measurement of iron deposition in the anterior pituitary, liver, and heart in thalassemia patients.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the feasibility of one-stop evaluation of iron load of myocardium, liver, and anterior pituitary gland in thalassemia patients.


METHODS
Fifty thalassemia major patients underwent a breath-hold magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequence for assessment of T2* for liver and myocardium, a short axis cine trueFISP sequence covering base to apex to assess the ejection fraction of left ventricle, and a turbo spin echo T2-weighted sequence for the anterior pituitary gland. The MRI parameters were correlated with serum growth hormone, insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1), insulin growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), and endocrine failure.


RESULTS
Ferritin was found to be associated with T2* liver (P < 0.005), T2SI (signal intensity) pituitary (P = 0.001), and T2 pituitary/fat (P = 0.001), but not with T2* heart. There was significant correlation of T2SI pituitary with IGF-1 and IGFBP-3. T2* liver (P < 0.001), T2* heart (P < 0.001), pituitary SI (P < 0.001) and pituitary/fat SI (P = 0.002) were also found to be significantly correlated with a history of hypogonadism. T2* heart was also found to be significantly correlated with IGF-1.


CONCLUSIONS
A quick MRI protocol for assessment of T2* liver, T2* heart, and T2SI pituitary is technically feasible. This might form an objective basis to monitor the response to different organs to chelation therapy.
Lam
Wynnie W M
WW
Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Organ Imaging, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, 30-32 Ngan Shing Street, Hong Kong SAR. wynnie@cuhk.edu.hk
Au
W Y
WY
Chu
Winnie C W
WC
Tam
S
S
Ha
S Y
SY
Pennell
D J
DJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis*; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000737:chemistry*; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000737:chemistry*; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000378:metabolism*
D007501:Iron