Complications of high serum ferritin level after splenectomy in β thalassemic patients

الملخص EN

Objectives : Compare between splenectomized and non splenectomized β -thalassemic patients regarding clinical, biochemical and therapeutic characteristics. Methods : This study was conducted on 140 patients with beta thalassemia major and thalassemia intermedia, expressed as two groups (group I) splenectomized patients and (group II) non splenectomized patients, who were attending Thalassemia Center in Karbala Teaching Hospital for Children from the first of November 2007 through 30th of April 2008.

Both groups were studied by physical examination, biochemical analysis, hemoglobin level, serum ferritin, hepatitis C virus antibodies, and hepatitis B surface antigen.

Echocardiography was done for most of patients. Results : In group I patients, 82.9% were under transfused and 80 % were underchelated, whereas 91.4 % of group II patients were under transfused and 74.3 % of them were underchelated.

Complications including, cardiac complications, diabetes mellitus, bone deformities, and gall stone were higher in group I than group II patients, moreover, only bone deformities was detected in â- thalassemia intermedia patients of both groups.

Splenectomy was beneficial in reducing frequency of blood transfusion in 77.1 % of group I patients. Conclusions : There is an aggravating effect of splenectomy on hemosiderosis.

High serum ferritin level in splenectomized patients is associated with higher incidence of complications