Anemia Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Anemia, including details on symptoms, diagnosis, diet, treatment, causes.

MRI for the determination of pituitary iron overload in children and young adults with beta-thalassaemia major.

Christoforidis A, Haritandi A, Perifanis V, Tsatra I, Athanassiou-Metaxa M, Dimitriadis AS

Thalassaemia Unit, Hippokration Hospital, 49 Konstantinoupoleos str., 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece. christoforidis@doctors.org.uk

Hypogonadism, resulting from iron-induced pituitary dysfunction, is the most frequently reported complication in patients with beta-thalassaemia major. The aim of this study was to evaluate pituitary Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) signal intensity reduction, on T2*-weighted images, as a marker of pituitary iron overload. Thirty patients (13 females and 17 males, mean age: 16.6+/-4.1) with beta-thalassaemia major on conventional treatment and 13 healthy volunteers (7 females and 6 males, mean age: 11+/-4.51 years) were studied with T2*-weighted images of the anterior pituitary using a 1.5T unit. Four thalassaemic patients (2 females and 2 males) had clinical hypogonadism and required hormonal replacement treatment. Results revealed a statistically significant reduction of pituitary signal intensity in the thalassaemia group compared to controls (p<0.001). Moreover, hypogonadal patients had significantly decreased MRI values compared to thalassaemic patients without hypogonadism (p=0.017). Relatively decreased adeno-hypophyseal MRI signal intensity was recorded in pubertal thalassaemic patients. A significant negative correlation was observed between pituitary MRI values and age (r=-0.67, r(2)=0.443, p=0.001), whereas ferritin levels and pituitary MRI values were moderately correlated (r=-0.56, r(2)=0.32, p=0.08) in adult thalassaemic patients. In conclusion, pituitary MRI indices as measured on T2*-weighted images seem to reflect pituitary iron overload and could, therefore, be used for a preclinical detection of patients who are in greater danger of developing hypogonadism.

Published 20 March 2007 in Eur J Radiol, 62(1): 138-42.
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