Role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Assessment of Pancreatic Iron Overload in Pediatric Beta-Thalassemic Major Patients

Abstract
Background: Thalassemia patients have diabetes mellitus subaltern to hemosiderosis.
Aim of Study: To asses iron overload in pancreas of pediatrics beta-thalassemia major patients by T2*-Gradient-echo Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and to study corre-lation of results of data of MRI with affection with diabetes, serum ferritin level, hepatic hemosiderosis, and spleen removal.
Methods: 20 (3-thalassemia major patients with regular blood transfusion (11 males and 9 females) follow-up at the Hematology Clinic, Children's Hospital, Tanta University.
Results: Striking reduction in hepatic and pancreatic Signal Intensity Ratio (SIR) was appeared in thalassemic patients contrasted with controls (p<0.001), Thalassemic patients with anomalous glucose tolerance; demonstrating a more level of secondary hemosiderosis in the form of low signal intensity of pancreas and liver tissue contrasted with thalassemics with typical glucose tolerance or controls (p<0.001). Thalassemic patients with surgically removed spleen had essentially bring down SIR of pancreas contrasted with intact spleen patients (p<0.047). A solid connection was available amongst hepatic and pancreatic siderosis in examined patients (p<0.003).
Conclusions: T2* GRE MRI assume a vital part in detec-tion of iron over-burden in B thalassemic patients, and was more obvious in patients with unusual glucose tolerance. After spleen removed, iron deposition might be more out of control in the pancreas. We prescribe serious chelation system to thalassemic patients generally and more in thalassemic patients with IGT with regular follow-up by susceptibility weighted sequences of magnetic resonance imaging.