The pancreas in beta-thalassemia major: MR imaging features and correlation with iron stores and glucose disturbances.

Abstract

The study aims at describing the MR features of pancreas in beta-thalassemia major, investigating the relations between MR findings and glucose disturbances and between hepatic and pancreatic siderosis. Signal intensity ratios of the pancreas and liver to right paraspinous muscle (P/M, L/M) were retrospectively assessed on abdominal MR imaging studies of 31 transfusion-dependent patients with beta-thalassemia major undergoing quantification of hepatic siderosis and 10 healthy controls, using T1- (120/4/90), intermediate in and out of phase - (120/2.7, 4/20), and T2*-(120/15/20) weighted GRE sequences. Using the signal drop of the liver and pancreas on opposed phase images, we recorded serum ferritin and results of oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Decreased L/M and P/M on at least the T2* sequence were noticed in 31/31 and 30/31 patients, respectively, but no correlation between P/M and L/M was found. Patients with pathologic OGTT displayed a higher degree of hepatic siderosis (p < 0.04) and signal drop of pancreas on opposed phase imaging (p < 0.025), implying fatty replacement of pancreas. P/M was neither correlated with glucose disturbances nor serum ferritin. Iron deposition in the pancreas cannot be predicted by the degree of hepatic siderosis in beta-thalassemia major. Fatty replacement of the pancreas is common and may be associated with glucose disturbances.

• Authors: Olympia Papakonstantinou, Vasilios Ladis, Stavroula Kostaridou, Thomas Maris, Helen Berdousi, Christos Kattamis, Nicholas Gourtsoyiannis
• Journal: European radiology (Eur Radiol) Vol. 17 Issue 6 Pg. 1535-43 (Jun 2007) ISSN: 0938-7994 [Print] Germany
• PMID: 17149622 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Blood Glucose
• Ferritins

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Analysis of Variance
• Blood Glucose (analysis)
• Blood Transfusion
• Case-Control Studies
• Female
• Ferritins (blood)
• Glucose Tolerance Test
• Humans
• Iron Overload (pathology)
• Linear Models
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (methods)
• Male
• Pancreas (pathology)
• Pancreatic Function Tests
• Retrospective Studies
• beta-Thalassemia (pathology)