Correlation Between CMR T2 and Advanced Echocardiographic Right Ventricular Function Criteria in Patients With Major Thalassemia

Tissue iron deposition is an important adverse effect in patients with major thalassemia, leading to right-sided heart failure.
This study was performed to determine the association between cardiovascular magnetic resonance using T2-weighted sequences (CMR T2) and advanced echocardiographic right ventricular (RV) function criteria in patients with major thalassemia at Rajaie Cardiovascular, Medical, and Research Center in 2014 and 2015.
This comparative study assessed the association between CMR T2 and advanced echocardiographic RV function criteria in 38 patients with major thalassemia at Rajaie Cardiovascular, Medical, and Research Center in 2014 and 2015.
CMR T2 was correlated with the RV E/E’ (echo) (P = 0.0001, r = -0.681), TAPSE (echo) (P = 0.001, r = 0.504), RVEDV (CMR) (P = 0.008, r = 0.425), and RVEDV/BSA (CMR) (P = 0.005, r = 0.443) according to the Spearman test. Additionally, CMR T2 was associated with the basal RV Sm (echo) (P = 0.0001, r = 0.626), RV strain (echo) (P = 0.034, r = 0.382), RVEDV/H (CMR) (P = 0.002, r = 0.483), LVEDV (CMR) (P = 0.022, r = 0.372), and LVEDV/H (CMR) (P = 0.017, r = 0.385) according to the Pearson test.
Totally, according to the obtained results, it may be concluded that the RV E/E’, TAPSE, basal RV Sm, and RV strain echocardiography and the RVEDV, RVEDV/BSA, RVEDV/H, LVEDV, and LVEDV/H CMR may be indicators of myocardial iron overload in patients with major thalassemia. (Iranian Heart Journal 2018; 19(1):15-20)