[Liver and heart T2* measurement in secondary haemochromatosis]

To determine whether there is iron overload by calculating the T2* value in the liver and myocardium in patients with secondary haemochromatosis. To analyse the correlation of the values obtained with the iron levels in blood, with the liver iron concentration (LIC) calculated using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and the correlation between them.

A total of 16 patients (13 males, 3 females), with a mean age of 61 years, were included and evaluated in the years 2008 and 2009. Fifteen of them had received multiple transfusions, and one was diagnosed with hereditary sideroblastic anaemia. The measurements included, blood ferritin, LIC by MRI, cardiac function using MRI and the T2* value by means of multi-echo sequences in the liver (TR/TE1/ΔTE/No of echos/α: 21/1,18/1.0/20/35°) and myocardium (26/1.04/0.8/30/60°). A correlation-regression analysis was performed by comparing the cardiac and liver T2* values with the ferritin, LIC and between each of them.

A total of 13 patients had ferritin values greater than 1000ng/ml (median/minimum/maximum: 1762/294/3785ng/ml). An increased LIC greater than 80μmol/g (median/minimum/maximum: 125.4/41.2/241.5μmol/g) was observed in 13 patients. In all cases cardiac function was conserved, and in 15 cases the liver T2* value was less than 6.3ms. The myocardium T2* value was less than 20ms. in only one case. A high correlation was observed between the liver T2* values and the LIC (r:-0.912). The correlation was statistically significant between the liver T2* value and ferritin (r:-0.541). The correlations between myocardium T2* and ferritin, myocardium T2* and LIC, and myocardium T2* and liver T2* were not statistically significant.

The liver T2* showed a high correlation with LIC and a statistically significant correlation with ferritin. No association was observed between the myocardium T2* values and ferritin in blood, the LIC or the liver T2* value.