Gennaro Restaino1, Massimiliano Missere1, Matteo Ciuffreda1, Eleonora Cucci1, Alessia Pepe2, Giuseppina Sallustio1
1Radiology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Campobasso, CB, Italy; 2MRI laboratory. Institute of Clinical Physiology,, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pisa, PI, Italy
Impairment of pancreatic function is a common complication in patients with thalassemia. Purpose: to evaluate a procedure of T2* assessment in the pancreas; to describe the T2* values of the pancreas in patients with thalassemia; to explore the correlation between pancreatic siderosis and hepatic and myocardial siderosis, diabetes, serum ferritin, and chelation. Methods: 37 thalassemic patients underwent singleslice multiecho T2* MRI in order to measure myocardial, liver and pancreatic T2*. Results: Pancreatic T2* measurement is feasible, simple, and reliable. Pancreatic siderosis doesnt correlate with liver hemosiderosis, diabetic status or chelation treatment, but strongly correlates with myocardial siderosis and serum ferritin.