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Abstract #3774

Onset of Cardiac Iron Loading in a Large and Homogenous Cohort of Thalassemia Major Pediatric Patients

Antonella Meloni1, Aldo Filosa2, Vincenzo Positano1, Daniele De Marchi1, Letizia Gulino1, Claudio Ascioti3, Massimo Midiri4, Gianluca Valeri5, Massimo Lombardi1

1Cardiovascular MR Unit, Fondazione G. Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana and Institute of Clinical Physiology, Pisa, Italy; 2UOC Pediatria - DH Talassemia, AORNA. Cardarelli, Napoli, Italy; 3Struttura Complessa di Cardioradiologia-UTIC, P.O. Giovanni Paolo II, Italy; 4Istituto di Radiologia, Policlinico "Paolo Giaccone", Palermo, Italy; 5Dipartimento di Radiologia, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Ospedali Riuniti "Umberto I-Lancisi-Salesi", Ancona, Italy


The MRI screening for both cardiac iron overload and function assessment can be started for thalassemia major patients at the age of 7 years. At this age not sedation is generally needed. If the availability of cardiac MRI is low, the serum ferritin levels could be used as a discriminating factor.