MR imaging of the brain: findings in asymptomatic patients with thalassemia intermedia and sickle cell-thalassemia disease.

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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the spectrum of MR findings of the brain in asymptomatic patients affected with thalassemia intermedia or sickle cell-thalassemia disease to prevent brain damage by identifying patients at risk for stroke so that transfusional or pharmacologic treatment could be implemented.Forty-one asymptomatic patients who were younger than 50 years and were affected by minor hemoglobinopathies underwent MR imaging of the brain. Ischemic lesions were classified as small, medium, or large and as single or multifocal. Atrophic changes were graded subjectively as mild, moderate, or severe. A grade of brain damage was assigned to every patient. The frequency and severity of brain damage were correlated with the number of sickle-cell crises per year, hemoglobin level, sickling hemoglobin level, platelet count, sex, and age.Of the patients with thalassemia intermedia, 37.5% showed asymptomatic brain damage, and 52% of those with sickle cell-thalassemia disease showed asymptomatic bra...

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