Wrist Deformity in Children and Adolescents with b-thalassemia on Oral Iron Chelation Therapy.

OBJECTIVE

To describe a novel wrist deformity in b-thalassemia major patients, and their radiographic and magnetic resonance imaging findings.

METHODS

30 patients with b-thalassemia major who were noticed to have ulnar deviation at wrist joint were evaluated for previous history of medications, serum ferritin levels, presence of pain and swelling at the wrist joint, and the duration of iron chelation therapy. Radiographs of wrist and limited magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences were obtained in 30 and 15 patients, respectively.

RESULTS

Radiographs revealed varying severity of distal ulnar shortening, distal radial slanting and presence of soft tissue distal to the ulna. MRI showed similar deformities along with abnormal marrow signal at distal ulnar ends; in 8 patients, a soft tissue distal to the distal end of ulna was noted.

CONCLUSIONS

Varying severity of radiological abnormalities, predominantly affecting the distal ulna, are present in children and adolescents with b-thalassemia receiving oral chelation therapy.