A geographic network for MRI assessment of iron overload in thalassemia: The MIOT experience

Today there are about 6000 thalassemia patients in Italy, with a marked prevalence in the south, Sardinia and Sicily. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) measurement of myocardial iron overload allows early diagnosis and treatment of these patients. To optimize patient care, CMR centers should be easily accessible for the patients and should be able to perform iron overload measurement in a standardized way. To accomplish this objective, an analysis system was developed and distributed to six CMR centers. Fifty haematological and paediatric centers specialized in thalassemia care were also involved. All centers are linked by a web-based network, configured to collect and share patient data, assuring personal data protection. The inter-center variability of the proposed methodology was evaluated, demonstrating the effectiveness of the network.