title: The evaluation of carotid intima-media thickness in children with beta-thalassaemia major.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiovascular complications and vascular changes are common in patients with beta-thalassaemia major. The aim of this study is to investigate the common carotid artery intima-media thickness in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population was consisted of 33 thalassaemic children (22 boys and 11 girls, with a median age of 8 years) and 30 healthy children for control (12 girls and 18 boys, with a median age of 8 years) who were matched for age and gender. Common carotid artery intima-media thickness of the children was measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients' age at diagnosis ranged from 0.25 to 2 years, with a median of 0.6 months. Their disease duration ranged from 4 to 13.75 years, with a median of 6.5 years. The patients' median common carotid artery intima-media thickness was significantly higher than controls - that is, 0.87 versus 0.74, with a p-value less than 0.005. The mean common carotid artery intima-media thickness value was positively correlated with disease duration (r = 0.535), with a p-value less than 0.01 and ferritin level (r = 0.501), with a p-value less than 0.01.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Owing to the nature of the disease, patients with beta-thalassaemia major should be considered to have an increased risk of early vascular alteration and atherosclerosis. For this reason, common carotid artery intima-media thickness measurement can be recommended as a non-invasive and early diagnostic method.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Mersin University, Mersin, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dogan
authors.forename: Elvan Caglar
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Citak
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000473:pathology*