Table 3.
Clinical presentation of the studied cases
| Mutation | TM (no=158) | TI (no=42) |
|---|---|---|
|
| ||
| Age / year | ||
| Mean ±SD | 1.42± 0.69 | 6.22± 2.38 |
| Range | 1–17 | 6–17 |
|
| ||
| Age at diagnosis/month | ||
| Mean ±SD | 15.36 ±5.36 | 36.42 ± 4.13 |
| Range | 3–14 | 35–72 |
|
| ||
| Age of 1st transfusion/month | ||
| Mean ±SD | 16.52 ± 5.96 | 46.52 ± 5.96 |
| Range | 4–72 | 36–72 |
|
| ||
| Interval of transfusion/week | Non transfusion dependent | |
| Mean ±SD | 4.05± 2.29 | |
| Range | 2–24 | |
| Every 2 weeks | 8% | |
| Every 3 weeks | 25% | |
| Every 4 weeks | 52 % | |
| Every 5 weeks | 7% | |
| Every 6–8 Weeks | 7 % | |
| Every 24 weeks | 1% | |
|
| ||
| Pallor | 93 % | 26% |
|
| ||
| Jaundice | 41% | 9% |
|
| ||
| Hepatomegaly | 78% | 12% |
|
| ||
| Splenomegaly | 25% | 10% |
|
| ||
| Splenectomy | 22% | None |
TM = thalassemia major. TI= thalassemia intermedia
Severity index used to classify patients into thalassemia major and intermedia includes: Age at presentation, age of first transfusion, degree of liver enlargement, degree of spleen enlargement, baseline Hb (Pre transfusion or at the time of diagnosis). Points assigned for each patient were added to determine the SI:>8= Thalassemia major and ≤ 8= Thalassemia intermedia.10