Assessment of iron distribution between liver, spleen, pancreas, bone marrow, and myocardium by means of R2 relaxometry with MRI in patients with β‐thalassemia major

Abstract

Despite positive correlations between the degree of hepatic, splenic, and VBM siderosis, as expressed by respective R2 values, there was variability of iron distribution patterns in thalassemic patients. Unpredictable patterns of iron distribution may be seen, such as normal signal of the spleen in the presence of siderotic liver, resembling primary hemochromatosis. Fatty degeneration of the pancreas was not uncommon.