Mahfoozur Rehman, Abid Ali Qureshi, Quratul Ain, Saqib Mehmood.
MRI findings of Pituitary gland in beta thalassemia major patients
Pak Paed J Sep 2007;13(3):137-41.
The Children`s Hospital and The Institute of Child Health, Lahore

This study was conducted in departments of Radiology and Genetics, The Children`s Hospital and Institute of Child Health, in collaboration with Fatmid Thalassemia Foundation Lahore, from Mach 2005 to February 2006 and included registered and diagnosed 30 patients (M:F = 23:7) of B-thalassemia major with age range of >14 years (mean 18 years + 3.3). All patients were being treated with transfusion regimen that maintained the pre-transfusion haemoglobin level between 9.5 and 10.5 g/dl. They received iron chelation therapy with deferoxamine. Serum testosterone levels were measured in males. In female patients serum luteinizing hormone (LH) and serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) were measured. MRI studies were performed with 1.5 T Gyroscan NT-Phillips MR system. All examinations included an SE T1-weighed sequences and SE T2-weighted sequences with coronal, sagittal and axial 3 mm thick sections through the pituitary gland. This study confirms that excess iron deposition in the anterior lobe of pituitary gland results in variable degree of decrease in size and function of this gland leading to hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism. MRI is a non-invasive and clinically useful method to provide early diagnosis of iron overload in pituitary gland of beta thalassemia patients.

Category: Haematology
Keywords: Thalassemia. MRI. Pituitary Gland. Hypogonadism.

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