Correlation Between CMR T2* and Advanced Echocardiographic Right Ventricular Function Criteria in Patients With Major Thalassemia

Background: Tissue iron deposition is an important adverse effect in patients with major thalassemia, leading to right-sided heart failure. This study was performed to determine the association between cardiovascular magnetic resonance using T2-weighted sequences (CMR T2*) and advanced echocardiographic right ventricular (RV) function criteria in patients with major thalassemia at Rajaie Cardiovascular, Medical, and Research Center in 2014 and 2015. Method: This comparative study assessed the association between CMR T2* and advanced echocardiographic RV function criteria in 38 patients with major thalassemia at Rajaie Cardiovascular, Medical, and Research Center in 2014 and 2015. Results: CMR T2* was correlated with the RV E/E’ (echo) (P = 0.0001, r = -0.681), TAPSE (echo) (P = 0.001, r = 0.504), RVEDV (CMR) (P = 0.008, r = 0.425), and RVEDV/BSA (CMR) (P = 0.005, r = 0.443) according to the Spearman test. Additionally, CMR T2* was associated with the basal RV Sm (echo) (P = 0.0001, r = 0.626), RV strain (echo) (P = 0.034, r = 0.382), RVEDV/H (CMR) (P = 0.002, r = 0.483), LVEDV (CMR) (P = 0.022, r = 0.372), and LVEDV/H (CMR) (P = 0.017, r = 0.385) according to the Pearson test. Conclusions: Totally, according to the obtained results, it may be concluded that the RV E/E’, TAPSE, basal RV Sm, and RV strain from echocardiography and the RVEDV, RVEDV/BSA, RVEDV/H, LVEDV, and LVEDV/H from CMR may be indicators of myocardial iron overload in patients with major thalassemia.