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Liver iron content assessment by routine and simple magnetic resonance imaging procedure in highly transfused patients
Author(s) -
Rose Christian,
Vandevenne Philippe,
Bourgeois Emmanuelle,
Cambier Nathalie,
Ernst Olivier
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
european journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1600-0609
pISSN - 0902-4441
DOI - 10.1111/j.0902-4441.2006.t01-1-ejh2571.x
Subject(s) - medicine , magnetic resonance imaging , gradient echo , biopsy , liver biopsy , nuclear medicine , radiology , correlation , geometry , mathematics
  Background:  Liver iron content (LIC) assessment by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is validated but not standardized. In a single center, we tried to assess the accuracy of a specific, simple MRI procedure adapted to high LIC from a well‐established simple and routine procedure known to quantify LIC. Methods:  In 27 cases of monthly transfused patients, we compared biochemical values of LIC assessed on liver biopsy specimens and results obtained by two signal intensity ratio of gradient echo imaging (R2*) MRI protocols. The first was Gandon's routine procedure previously validated in liver disease and the second, our own method, was an addition of a gradient echo sequence specifically adapted to high LIC encountered in hematology practice. Results:  Twenty‐seven liver biopsies were performed in 18 adult patients (myelodysplastic syndrome = 5, β ‐thalassemia = 13). LIC by biopsy ranged from 1.4 to 54 mg/g liver dry weight (mg/g dw) (median 9.4 mg/g dw). Correlation between LIC by biopsy and by MRI with Gandon's procedure was good ( R  = 0.80) in patients with LIC falling within the range reported by Gandon. By contrast, a weak correlation was demonstrated ( R  = 0.52) in patients with high LIC (above 11.2 mg/g dw). With our sequences, the correlation was good both in the entire group of patients ( R  = 0.83) and in patients with LIC above 11.2 mg/g dw ( R  = 0.85). Conclusion:  Our results suggest that the addition of a specific shorter‐gradient echo sequence to a very simple, fast technique produces an accurate estimation of LIC in post‐transfusional iron overload.

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