EVALUATION OF PULMONARY IRON OVER LOAD IN PATIENTS WITH Β-THALASSEMIA MAJOR USING SPIROMETRY

Spirometry changes in thalassemic patients can be obstructive or restrictive and
pulmonary dysfunction depends on age and body iron overload. In this study the effectiveness of lung
spirometry in detecting iron overload in patients with β-thalassemia was investigated.
Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional (descriptive-analytic) study investigated the spirometry test
results and their association with iron stores in patients with thalassemia major.
Complete physical examination, CBC, MRI T2*of heart, and serum ferritin were performed. A twostage
spirometry was also taken 2 weeks after blood transfusion in the sitting position.
Results: This clinical trial study was carried out on 31 patients. The spirometry test results in 10 (32.3%)
patients were normal, while the spirometry test results were abnormal in 21 (67.8%) patients.
Of the 17 patients with abnormal heart MRI T2*, spirometry results were abnormal in 15 patients and 2
patients had normal spirometry.
Conclusion: Ferritin stores have no significant relationship with spirometry changes in patients with β-
thalassemia major. But there was a significant correlation between MRI T2*of the heart and spirometry
changes.