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Published in: Pediatric Radiology 8/2011

01-08-2011 | Original Article

Noninvasive measurement of liver iron concentration at MRI in children with acute leukemia: initial results

Authors: Tibor Vag, Karim Kentouche, Ines Krumbein, Jürgen R. Reichenbach, Eric Lopatta, Diane M. Renz, Martin Stenzel, James Beck, Werner A. Kaiser, Hans-Joachim Mentzel

Published in: Pediatric Radiology | Issue 8/2011

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Abstract

Background

Routine assessment of body iron load in patients with acute leukemia is usually done by serum ferritin (SF) assay; however, its sensitivity is impaired by different conditions including inflammation and malignancy.

Objective

To estimate, using MRI, the extent of liver iron overload in children with acute leukemia and receiving blood transfusions, and to examine the association between the degree of hepatic iron overload and clinical parameters including SF and the transfusion iron load (TIL).

Material and methods

A total of 25 MRI measurements of the liver were performed in 15 children with acute leukemia (mean age 9.75 years) using gradient-echo sequences. Signal intensity ratios between the liver and the vertebral muscle (L/M ratio) were calculated and compared with SF-levels. TIL was estimated from the cumulative blood volume received, assuming an amount of 200 mg iron per transfused red blood cell unit.

Results

Statistical analysis revealed good correlation between the L/M SI ratio and TIL (r = −0.67, P = 0.002, 95% confidence interval CI = −0.83 to −0.34) in patients with acute leukemia as well as between L/M SI ratio and SF (r = −0.76, P = 0.0003, 95% CI = −0.89 to −0.52).

Conclusion

SF may reliably reflect liver iron stores as a routine marker in patients suffering from acute leukemia
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Metadata
Title
Noninvasive measurement of liver iron concentration at MRI in children with acute leukemia: initial results
Authors
Tibor Vag
Karim Kentouche
Ines Krumbein
Jürgen R. Reichenbach
Eric Lopatta
Diane M. Renz
Martin Stenzel
James Beck
Werner A. Kaiser
Hans-Joachim Mentzel
Publication date
01-08-2011
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
Pediatric Radiology / Issue 8/2011
Print ISSN: 0301-0449
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1998
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-011-2122-3

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