Cardiac events and cardiac T2* in Egyptian children and young adults with beta-thalassemia major taking deferoxamine.

Background And Objectives: Cardiac events and death are not uncommon in adults with beta-thalassemia (b-TM) taking deferoxamine (DFO) monotherapy because of poor compliance and possibly the less effectiveness of DFO in controlling cardiac iron overload. We sought to assess compliance with DFO, the percentage of shift to other iron chelators, and the occurrence of cardiac siderosis, and cardiac events and death in b-TM patients on DFO monotherapy.

Design And Setting: Prospective, observational, 10-year follow-up of patients attending Ain Shams Thalassemia Unit, Cairo, Egypt.