MRI Measurements of Iron Load in Transfusion-Dependent Patients: Implementation, Challenges, and Pitfalls

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has played a key role in studies of iron overload in transfusion-dependent patients, providing insights into the relations among liver and cardiac iron loading, iron chelator dose, and morbidity. Currently, there is rapid uptake of these methods into routine clinical practice as part of the management strategy for iron overload in regularly transfused patients. Given the manifold methods of data acquisition and analysis, there are several potential pitfalls that may result in inappropriate decision making. Herein, we review the challenges of establishing suitable MRI techniques for tissue iron measurement in regularly transfused patients.