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Hepatocellular carcinoma in the thalassaemia syndromes
Author(s) -
BorgnaPignatti Caterina,
Vergine Gianluca,
Lombardo Turi,
Cappellini Maria Domenica,
Cianciulli Paolo,
Maggio Aurelio,
Renda Disma,
Lai Maria Eliana,
Mandas Antonella,
Forni Gianluca,
Piga Antonio,
Bisconte Maria Grazia
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2141.2003.04732.x
Subject(s) - hepatocellular carcinoma , medicine , cirrhosis , gastroenterology , viral hepatitis , carcinoma , population , thalassemia , serum ferritin , ferritin , pediatrics , environmental health
Summary Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) frequently complicates hepatic cirrhosis secondary to viral infection or iron overload. Therefore, patients affected by thalassaemia syndromes have a theoretically high risk of developing the tumour. We collected data on patients attending Italian centres for the treatment of thalassaemia. Twenty‐two cases of HCC were identified; 15 were male. At diagnosis, the mean age was 45 ± 11 years and the mean serum ferritin was 1764 ± 1448 μ g/l. Eighty‐six percent had been infected by hepatitis C virus. Nineteen of 22 cases were diagnosed after 1993, suggesting that this problem is becoming more frequent with the aging population of thalassaemia patients.