Abstract
We report four sickle cell anemia patients who have received multiple blood transfusions and have been non-compliant on Desferal chelation therapy. Abdominal ultrasonography demonstrated an echogenic pancreas in all four patients. Magnetic resonance imaging in three patients revealed decreased signal intensity in all sequences in the pancreas and liver. All four patients had marked iron deposition on liver biopsy. To our knowledge, increased echogenicity of the pancreas secondary to hemosiderosis (2o hemochromatosis) in sickle cell patients has not been reported in the radiologic literature.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
O'Brien PT (1977) Iron overload: clinical and pathologic aspects in pediatrics. Semin Hematol 14: 115–123
Marks WM, Filly RA, Callen PW (1980) Ultrasound evaluation of normal pancreatic echogenicity and its relationship to fat deposition. Radiology 137: 475–479
Filly RA, London SS (1979) The normal pancreas: acoustic characteristics and frequency of imaging. J Clin Ultrasound 7: 121–124
Worthen NJ, Beabeau D (1982) Normal pancreatic echogenicity: relation to age and body fat. AJR 139: 1095–1098
Daneman A, Gaskin K, Martin DJ, Cutz E (1983) Pancreatic changes in cystic fibrosis: CT and sonographic appearances. AJR 141: 653–655
Bastid C, Peitri H, Sahel J, Rizzo L, Sarles H (1986) Aspects echographiques du pancreas au cours de l'hemochromatose. Acta Gastroenterol Belgica IL: 512–516
Schneider K, Harms K, Fendel H (1987) Increased echogenicity of the pancreas in infants and children: the white pancreas. Eur J Pediatr 146: 508–511
Erhmann R, Hausdorf G, Landbeck G (1983) Pancreatic sonography in thalassemia major. Klin Pädiatr 195: 97–99
Patel S, Bellon EM, Haaga J, Park CH (1980) Fat replacement of the exocrine pancreas. AJR 135: 843–845
Brasch RC, Wesbey GE, Gooding CA, Koerper MA (1984) Magnetic resonance imaging of transfusional hemosiderosis complicating thalassemia major. Radiology 150: 767–771
Suda K (1985) Hemosiderin deposition in the pancreas. Arch Pathol Lab Med 109: 996–999
Ley TJ, Griffith P, Neinhuis AW (1982) Transfusion haemosiderosis and chelation therapy. Clin Haematol 11: 437–459
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Flyer, M.A., Haller, J.O. & Sundaram, R. Transfusional hemosiderosis in sickle cell anemia: Another cause of an echogenic pancreas. Pediatr Radiol 23, 140–142 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02012409
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02012409