Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIM- Thalassemia is one of the major hemoglobinopathies in India, requiring multiple blood transfusion. These patients have iron overloads and related end-organ damage irrespective of transfusion requirements as they have increased iron absorbing capacity. India tops the list with largest number of children with Thalassemia major in the world – about 1 to 1.5 lakhs and almost 42 million carriers of ß (beta) thalassemia trait. The main aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of thyroid disorder in multi transfused thalassemia major patients and to detect thyroid disorder at earlier stage so that prompt management can be initiated for better quality of life and to reduce thyroid disorder related morbidity.
MATERIAL AND METHODS- The study included thalassemia major patients above the age of 12 years. Patient’s serum ferritin level measured for the evaluation of iron status and thyroid stimulating hormone(serum TSH), T4, T3 for thyroid function status.
RESULT- Out of 100 patients included in the study, there were 61 male patients; the mean age was 22 years(range: 12-34 years). The prevalence of hypothyroidism in our study was 14(14%) patients of which 5(5%) patients had overt hypothyroidism with mean ferritin level of 4738 ng/ml and 9(9%) patients had Subclinical hypothyroidism with mean ferritin level of 5595 ng/ml. 86(86%) patients showed normal thyroid function with mean ferritin level of 2934 ng/ml.
CONCLUSION- Thalassemia major patients had higher prevalence of hypothyroidism than the general population but the serum ferritin level did not correlate with thyroid dysfunction.