Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Transfusional iron overload
Introduction
Transfusional hemosiderosis is the accumulation of iron in the liver and/or heart but also endocrine organs, in patients who receive frequent blood transfusions (such as those with thalassemia, sickle cell disease, aplastic anemia or myelodysplastic syndrome).
Treatment is by iron chelating agents: deferoxamine, deferiprone or deferasirox. If iron overload has caused end-organ damage, this is generally irreversible and may require transplantation.
See also
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]