Share：
Share this content in WeChat
X
[Chinese][PDF]84279
• Review •
Iron overload measured by using T2* magnetic resonance imaging
ZHU Liu-hong  GUO Gang 

DOI:10.3969/j.issn.1674-8034.2011.06.013.


[Abstract] Patients who had transfusion-dependent anemia can have substantial iron overload. Uncontrolled iron overload is association with significant mortality and disease complications. The accurate measurement of iron content is critical for clinical strategy. In this study, we detail current method of T2* weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging (T2*-MRI) for quantifying iron in different organs or tissues. T2*-MRI increasingly and routinely is performed in clinical applications as a non-invasive method at present. However, there are still some remaining challenges and unsolved problems, such as artifacts, various measurements etc. With continuously and deeply exploring, T2*-MRI will have wide clinical applications in the future.
[Keywords] Magnetic resonance imaging；T2*-weighted imaging；Liver iron concentration；Cardiac iron deposition

ZHU Liu-hong Department of Radiology, Xiamen No.2 Hospital, Xiamen 361021, China

GUO Gang Department of Radiology, Xiamen No.2 Hospital, Xiamen 361021, China

*Correspondence to: Guo G, james_guoxm@yahoo.com.cn

Conflicts of interest   None.

Received  2011-06-24
Accepted  2011-10-10
DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8034.2011.06.013
DOI:10.3969/j.issn.1674-8034.2011.06.013.

[1]
Gordeuk VR, Bacon BR, Brittenham GM. Iron overload: causes and consequences. Annu Rev Nutr, 1987, 7: 485-508.
[2]
Borgna-Pignatti C, Castriota-Scanderbeg A. Methods for evaluating iron stores and efficacy of chelation in transfusional hemosiderosis. Haematologica, 1991, 76(5): 409-413.
[3]
Nielsen P, Engelhardt R, Duerken M, et al. Using SQUID biomagnetic liver susceptometry in the treatment of thalassemia and other iron loading diseases. Transfus Sci, 2000, 23(3): 257-258.
[4]
Fischer MA, Reiner CS, Raptis D, et al. Quantification of liver iron content with CT-added value of dual-energy. Eur Radiol. 2011 DOI:
[5]
Ernst O, Sergent G, Bonvarlet P, et al. Hepatic Iron Overload: Diagnosis and Quantification with MR Imaging. AJR Am J Roentgenol, 1997, 168(5):1205-1208.
[6]
Gandon Y, Olivie D, Guyader D, et al. Noninvasive assessment of hepatic iron stores by MRI. Lancet, 2004, 363(9406): 357-362.
[7]
Wood JC, Enriquez C, Ghugre N, et al. MRI R2 and R2* mapping accurately estimates hepatic iron concentration in transfusion-dependent thalassemia and sickle cell disease patients. Blood, 2005, 106(4): 1460-1465.
[8]
St Pierre TG, Clark PR, Chua-anusorn W, et al. Noninvasive measurement and imaging of liver iron concentrations using proton magnetic resonance. Blood, 2005, 105(2): 855-861.
[9]
Tziomalos K, Perifanis V. Liver iron content determination by magnetic resonance imaging. World J Gastroenterol, 2010, 16(13): 1587-1597.
[10]
Peter-D. Jensen. Evaluation of iron overload. British Journal of Haematology, 2004, 124(6): 697-711.
[11]
Chavhan GB, Babyn PS, Thomas B, et al. Principles, Techniques and Applications of T2*-based MR Imaging and Its Special Applications. RadioGraphics, 2009, 29(5): 1433-1449.
[12]
Westwood M, Anderson LJ, Firmin DN, et al. A single breath-hold multiecho T2*cardiovascular magnetic resonance technique for diagnosis of myocardial iron overload. J Magn Reson Imaging, 2003, 18(1):33-39.
[13]
Storey P, Thompson AA, Carqueville CL, et al. R2* Imaging of Transfusional Iron Burden at 3T and Comparison with 1.5T. J Magn Reson Imaging, 2007, 25(3): 540-547.
[14]
Alustiza JM, Artetxe J, Castiella A, et al. MR quantification of hepatic iron concentration. Radiology, 2004, 230(2): 479-484.
[15]
Gandon Y, Guyader D, Heautot JF, et al. Hemochromatosis: diagnosis and quantification of liver iron with gradient-echo MR imaging. Radiology, 1994, 193(2): 533-538.
[16]
Song R, Cohen AR, Song HK. Improved transverse relaxation rate measurement techniques for the assessment of hepatic and myocardial iron content. J Magn Reson Imaging, 2007, 26(1): 208-214.
[17]
McCarville MB, Hillenbrand CM, Loeffler RB, et al. Comparison of whole liver and small region-of-interest measurements of MRI liver R2* in childer with iron overload. Pediatr Radiol, 2010, 40(8): 1360-1367.
[18]
Clark PR, St Pierre TG. Quantitative mapping of transverse relaxivity (1/T(2)) in hepatic iron overload: a single spin-echo imaging methodology. Magn Reson Imaging, 2000, 18(4): 431-438.
[19]
Clark PR, Chua-Anusorn W, St Pierre TG. Proton transverse relaxation rate (R2) images of ironloaded liver tissue: mapping local tissue iron concentrations with MRI. Magn Reson Med, 2003, 49(3): 572-575.
[20]
Hankins JS, McCarville MB, Loeffler RB, et al. R2* magnetic resonance imaging of the liver in patients with iron overload. BLOOD, 2009, 113(20): 4853-4855.
[21]
Anderson LJ, Holden S, Davis B, et al. Cardiovascular T2-star (T2*) magnetic resonance for the early diagnosis of myocardial iron overload. Eur Heart J, 2001, 22(23): 2171-2179.
[22]
Wang ZJ, Lian L, Chen Q, et al. 1/T2 and magnetic susceptibility measurements in a gerbil cardiac iron overload model. Radiology, 2005, 234(3): 749-755.
[23]
Wood JC, Otto-Duessel M, Aguilar M, et al. Cardiac Iron Determines Cardiac T2*, T2, and T1 in the Gerbil Model of Iron Cardiomyopathy.Circulation, 2005, 112(4): 535-543.
[24]
Christoforidis A, Haritandi A, Perifanis V, et al. MRI for the determination of pituitary iron overload in children and young adults with beta-thalassaemia major. Eur J Radiol, 2007, 62(1): 138-142.
[25]
Drakonaki E, Papakonstantinou O, Maris T, et al. Adrenal glands in beta-thalassemia major: magnetic resonance (MR) imaging features and correlation with iron stores. Eur Radiol, 2005, 15(12): 2462-2468.
[26]
Drakonaki EE, Maris TG, Papadakis A, et al. Bone marrow changes in beta-thalassemia major: quantitative MR imaging findings and correlation with iron stores. Eur Radiol, 2007, 17(8): 2079-2087.
[27]
de Assis RA, Ribeiro AA, Kay FU, et al. Pancreatic iron stores assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in beta thalassemic patients. Eur J Radiol, 2011. DOI:
[28]
Matter RM, Allam KE, Sadony AM. Gradient-echo magnetic resonance imaging study of pancreatic iron overload in young Egyptian beta-thalassemia major patients and effect of splenectomy. Diabetol Metab Syndr, 2010, 2: 23.
[29]
Brewer CJ, Coates TD, Wood JC. Spleen R2 and R2* in iron-overloaded patients with sickle cell disease and thalassemia major. J Magn Reson Imaging, 2009, 29(2):357-364.
[30]
Christoforidis A, Haritandi A, Tsitouridis I, et al. Correlative study of iron accumulation in liver, myocardium, and pituitary assessed with MRI in young thalassemic patients. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol, 2006, 28(5):311-315.
[31]
Argyropoulou MI, Kiortsis DN, Astrakas L, et al. Liver, bone marrow, pancreas and pituitary gland iron overload in young and adult thalassemic patients: a T2 relaxometry study. Eur Radiol, 2007, 17(12): 3025-3030.
[32]
Papakonstantinou O, Alexopoulou E, Economopoulos N, et al. Assessment of iron distribution between liver, spleen, pancreas, bone marrow, and myocardium by means of R2 relaxometry with MRI in patients with beta-thalassemia major. J Magn Reson Imaging, 2009, 29(4): 853-859.

PREV MR imaging of the common shoulder abnormalities
NEXT One case report of intraspinal diffuse melanocytosis
  


LINK


Tel & Fax: +8610-67113815    E-mail: editor@cjmri.cn