Exchange blood transfusions for the treatment of leg ulcerations in thalassemia intermedia

Cardiac Outpatient Clinic for Hemoglobinopathies, First Department of Internal Medicine, University of Athens Medical School, Laiko Hospital, Athens, Greece. aaisopos@cc.uoa.gr

Thalassemia intermedia is a heterogeneous, transfusion-independent form of b-thalassemia, with a clinical course dominated by multi-organ effects of chronic tissue hypoxia, in which hemoglobin F percentage seems to play an important role. We describe the case of a transfusion-independent thalassemia intermedia patient (total hemoglobin 10.7 g/dl) with high hemoglobin F percentage (70%), who presented with persistent leg ulcerations. The patient was successfully treated with one-year exchange blood transfusions, which reduced hemoglobin F percentage to 35%.