title: Evaluation of Iron Deposition in the Adrenal Glands of β Thalassemia Major Patients Using 3-Tesla MRI.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Beta-thalassemia major (β-TM) patients need blood transfusions, which result in iron deposition. To regulate chelation therapy, iron load has to be measured. With MRI, the amount of signal loss and T2* decay time shortening are used for iron quantification.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim was to measure adrenal iron load with T2* relaxometry using MRI, and to compare it with liver and cardiac iron and serum ferritin, and to find out whether adrenal iron could be predicted from those parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between October 2014 and March 2015, MRI was performed in 21 patients with β-TM, recieving blood transfusions and chelation therapy. The control group (n = 11) included healthy volunteers with no known history of adrenal, hematologic, chronic disease, and blood transfusion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among patients, there was no significant correlation between plasma ferritin and adrenal T2*. Significant difference was detected among T2* values of adrenals between the patient and control groups. There was no significant correlation between adrenal gland and liver T2* in β-TM patients, moderate correlation was detected between adrenal T2* and cardiac T2*.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adrenal iron in β-TM can be reliably measured in 3 Tesla MRI. The results highlight the absence of correlation between adrenal iron deposition both with serum ferritin and hepatic iron.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Yeditepe University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tevfik
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Guzelbey
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Bengi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gurses
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, School of Medicine, Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erman
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ozturk
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine, Yeditepe University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Olcay
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ozveren
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Yeditepe University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aysegul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sarsilmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Yeditepe University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ebru
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karasu
keywords: Adrenal Glands; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Relaxation; Thalassemia