This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Ariel Koren (Kurlat), MD; Itzhak Garty, MD; Dante Antonelli, MD; Eliahu Katzuni, MD

Am J Dis Child. 1987;141(1):93-96.

Abstract
• In patients with iron overload associated with severe, transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia, congestive heart failure develops during the second decade of life. Biventricular heart function Was studied by multigated radionuclide angiography In 22 patients with β-thalassemia major. Six patients were symptomatic. Congestive heart failure developed in five patients at the time of blood transfusions, and one other patient had been treated for multiple ventricular extrasystole. The mean (±SD) left ventricular ejection fraction was normal (63.0%± 7.6%). Only one patient had a left ventricular ejection fraction under the normal level (<50%). The mean (± SD) right ventricular fraction (RVEF) was 33.3%±9.4%. In only three patients Was the RVEF normal (40%); an RVEF under 30% was registered in six patients. We suggest that the early right ventricular dysfunction in patients with β-thalassemia may be due to pulmonary hypertension secondary to iron overload and iron deposits in the ventricles.

(AJDC 1987;141:93-96)

Author Affiliations
From the Departments of Pediatrics B (Drs Koren [Kurlat] and Katzuni), Cardiology (Dr Antonelli), and Nuclear Medicine (Dr Garty), Central Emek Hospital, Afula, Israel.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication July 14, 1986.

Reprints not available.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Acetaminophen Combinations Protect Against Iron-Induced Cardiac Damage in Gerbils
Walker et al.
Annals of Clinical & Laboratory Science 2009;39:378-385.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Splenectomy: a strong risk factor for pulmonary hypertension in patients with thalassaemia
Phrommintikul et al.
Heart 2006;92:1467-1472.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Farber and Loscalzo
NEJM 2004;351:1655-1665.
FULL TEXT  

The heart in thalassaemia
Walker
Eur Heart J 2002;23:102-105.
FULL TEXT  

Right ventricular cardiomyopathy in {beta}-thalassaemia major
Hahalis et al.
Eur Heart J 2002;23:147-156.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The hypercoagulable state in thalassemia
Eldor and Rachmilewitz
Blood 2002;99:36-43.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT