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A T2* magnetic resonance imaging study of pancreatic iron overload in thalassemia major

¹Departments of Medicine and ²Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital (SYH); ³Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Chinese, University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales; ⁴Clinical Biochemistry Unit, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, China

Correspondence: Win-Yan Au, Professorial Block, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong. E-mail: auwing{at}hotmail.com

We studied the utility of pancreatic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 72 thalassemia major patients (21 diabetic, 51 normoglycemic). Diabetic patients were significantly older (p<0.0001) and had smaller pancreas volume (p<0.0001). The two groups were comparable for ferritin and MRI-T2* heart, liver and pancreas. Pancreatic T2* signals were abnormal in 80% of both groups, and correlated with heart T2*. In normoglycemic patients, cardiac T2* and log-pancreatic T2* values correlated with homeostatic model assessments HOMA-B (β cell reserve), HOMA-IR (insulin resistance) and fasting insulin/C-peptide levels. This suggested that improved chelation may improve β cell reserve and prevent pancreatic atrophy.

Key words: magnetic resonance, thalassemia.