3.1 Iron overload
Serum ferritin was available in all 45 patients. T2*MRI was performed in
all except one patient due to the need for sedation. The mean serum
ferritin was 581 ng/ml (range: 32-2115). Iron overload (serum ferritin
>1000 ng/ml) was observed in 5 (11.1%) patients. CRP
levels were <10 ng/ml in all. The mean LIC was 2.7 mg/g
(range: 0.6-12.7). The LIC was elevated (>2 mg/g) in 20
(45.4%) patients; 18 (41%) had mild, and 2 (4.5%) patients had a
moderate grade of hepatic iron overload. The mean MIC was 0.6 mg/g
(range: 0-1.6). Merely 2 (4.5%) patients had an elevated MIC, both with
a mild elevation. The two patients with the cardiac iron overload
included a patient with high-risk ALL and another with AML. An
echocardiogram was performed in both patients with cardiac iron
overload. The ALL survivor had grade 2 diastolic dysfunction, and the
other had a normal function.