Table 3.
Prevalence of complications in thalassaemia intermedia vs. major.5
| Complication (% of patients affected) | Thalassaemia intermedia | Thalassaemia major | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lebanon | Italy | Lebanon | Italy | |
| (n = 37) | (n = 63) | (n = 40) | (n = 60) | |
| Splenectomy | 90 | 67 | 95 | 83 |
| Cholecystectomy | 85 | 68 | 15 | 7 |
| Gallstones | 55 | 63 | 10 | 23 |
| Extramedullary haemopoiesis | 20 | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| Leg ulcers | 20 | 33 | 0 | 0 |
| Thrombotic events | 28 | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| Cardiopathy* | 3 | 5 | 10 | 25 |
| Pulmonary hypertension† | 50 | 17 | 10 | 11 |
| Abnormal liver enzymes | 20 | 22 | 55 | 68 |
| HCV infection | 7 | 33 | 7 | 98 |
| Hypogonadism | 5 | 3 | 80 | 93 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 3 | 2 | 12.5 | 10 |
| Hypothyroidism | 3 | 2 | 15 | 11 |
*
Fractional shortening < 35%.
†
Defined as pulmonary artery systolic pressure > 30 mmHg; a well-enveloped tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity could be detected in only 20 patients, so frequency was assessed in these patients only.