Bone marrow changes in beta-thalassemia major: quantitative MR imaging findings and correlation with iron stores
- 16 December 2006
- journal article
- magnetic resonance
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in European Radiology
- Vol. 17 (8), 2079-2087
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-006-0504-y
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to describe the MR imaging features of bone marrow in beta-thalassemia major and investigate their relation to ferritin, liver and spleen siderosis. Spinal bone marrow was prospectively assessed on abdominal MR studies of 40 transfused beta-thalassemic patients and 15 controls using T1-w, Pd, T2*-w Gradient Echo (GRE) and T1-w turbo Spin Echo (TSE) sequences. Signal intensity (SI) ratios of liver, spleen and bone marrow to paraspinous muscles (L/M, S/M, B/M respectively) and the respective T2 relaxation rates (1/T2) were calculated. Serum ferritin levels were recorded. Bone marrow hypointensity in at least T2*-w GRE sequence was noted in 29/40 (72.5%) patients. Eleven/40 patients exhibited normal B/M on all MR sequences. Five/40 patients had normal B/M and low L/M. B/M correlated with L/M in T1-w TSE sequence only (r = 0.471, p = 0.05). B/M correlated with S/M and mean ferritin values in all sequences (r > 0.489, p < 0.01 and r > − 0.496, p < 0.03 respectively). Marrow 1/T2 did not correlate with ferritin values or liver and spleen 1/T2. B/M in transfused beta-thalassemic patients is related to splenic siderosis and ferritin levels. Although marrow is usually hypointense, it may occasionally display normal SI coexisting with liver hypointensity, a pattern typical of primary hemochromatosis.Keywords
This publication has 48 references indexed in Scilit:
- Implications of pulse sequence in structural imaging of trabecular boneJournal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 2005
- Evaluation of iron overloadBritish Journal of Haematology, 2004
- ThalassemiaHematology-American Society Hematology Education Program, 2004
- Hepatic iron overload: diagnosis and quantification with MR imaging.American Journal of Roentgenology, 1997
- MRI marrow observations in thalassemia: The effects of the primary disease, transfusional therapy, and chelationPediatric Radiology, 1995
- MR marrow signs of iron overload in transfusion-dependent patients with sickle cell diseasePediatric Radiology, 1995
- Iron deposition in cranial bone marrow with sickle cell disease: MR assessment using a fat suppression techniquePediatric Radiology, 1993
- Noninvasive Liver-Iron Quantification by Computed Tomography in Iron-Overloaded RatsInvestigative Radiology, 1992
- MR relaxation times and iron content of thalassemic spleens: an in vitro studyAmerican Journal of Roentgenology, 1988
- Multiple‐spin‐echo imaging with a 2D Fourier methodMagnetic Resonance in Medicine, 1986