Radioisotope assessment of heart damage in hypertransfused thalassaemic patients

Twenty-five thalassaemic patients treated with repeated blood transfusion (BT) and intensive iron removal therapy were studied by echocardiography and rest/stress equilibrium gated radionuclide angiocardiography (EGNA). Stress left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) showed an important negative co...

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Published inEuropean journal of nuclear medicine Vol. 20; no. 7; p. 603
Main Authors Scopinaro, F, Banci, M, Vania, A, Tavolaro, R, Schillaci, O, Tisei, A, Werner, B, Digilio, G, Ventriglia, F, Colloridi, V
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Germany 01.07.1993
Subjects
Adolescent
Adult
beta-Thalassemia - therapy
Child
Echocardiography
Female
Gated Blood-Pool Imaging
Heart Diseases - diagnostic imaging
Heart Diseases - etiology
Humans
Iron - adverse effects
Male
Transfusion Reaction
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Summary:Twenty-five thalassaemic patients treated with repeated blood transfusion (BT) and intensive iron removal therapy were studied by echocardiography and rest/stress equilibrium gated radionuclide angiocardiography (EGNA). Stress left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) showed an important negative correlation with number of BTs (r = -0.75). Abnormal values of stress LVEF were measured after 200 BTs: these data demonstrate the effectiveness of stress LVEF in the follow-up of patients who have undergone repeated BTs and the clinical importance of intensive chelation therapy. Peak filling rate did not show diagnostic value in the early detection of iron cardiotoxicity. However, its inverse correlation with BT (r = -60) indicates that iron overload depresses the diastolic parameters.
ISSN:0340-6997
DOI:10.1007/BF00176555