Blood that was far from red: hypertriglyceridaema thalassaemia syndrome: case report

Thalassaemia is the most common inherited haemoglobin disorder worldwide and a major health problem. Beta-thalassaemia major generally presents with a normal serum lipid profile, but there have been a few reports of its association with hypertriglyceridaemia, the exact pathogenesis of which remains unknown, and where early and regular blood transfusions ameliorate hypertriglyceridemia, thereby preventing its complications and the need for medical treatment of hypertriglyceridemia. This entity was seen in a 6-month-old infant girl who presented with severe anaemia, failure to thrive and organomegaly, and was incidentally found to have hypertriglyceridaemia. Hypertriglyceridaemia thalassaemia syndrome has rarely been described.