Introduction:
Beta-thalassemia major (β-TM) is a transfusion dependent hereditary
anaemia. Regular transfusion and effective chelator therapy are
increased the life expectancy in this group of patients. Iron chelators
are used to prevent transfusion related iron overload which is toxic for
all the tissues, especially for heart. However, cardiac problems are
still the major mortality reason in β-TM.1-3 Early
detection of cardiac iron accumulation helps intensify chelation therapy
before heart failure develops. T2* magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a
non-invasive technic for shows myocardial iron
overload.4,5
Conventional echocardiography may be insufficient in demonstrating
cardiac dysfunction because of diastolic and systolic functions are
preserved till the end stage cardiac failure in these
patients.6 Therefore, early detection of myocardial
dysfunction and modification of treatment is important for preventing
the progression of end stage heart failure and lethal
arrhythmias.7 Tissue Doppler (TD) imaging is an
echocardiographic based technic, determines myocardial motion
abnormality and its shows regional diastolic and systolic velocities. TD
imaging allows additional information to detect early myocardial
dysfunction compare to conventional
echocardiography.8,9
The aim of our study is to compare the TD measurements of our patients
with normal conventional echo findings with control group and to
investigate the relationship between T2* MRI and TD measurements in
patients with thalassemia. Our other aim is to compare TD findings of
the patients with no cardiac iron accumulation with the control group.