Pituitary Volume and Iron Overload Evaluation by 3T MRI in Thalassemia.

Objective: To evaluate pituitary volume and iron overload in beta thalassemia major, with the objective of assessing the reliability of this method in predicting hypogonadism.

Methods: 3T MRI was used to measure pituitary R2 and T2* in 57 beta thalassemia major patients and 30 controls. Anterior pituitary volume was evaluated by MRI planimetry.