Cutaneous Manifestations in Patients with Beta-Thalassemia Major
, , , , , und | 08. Okt. 2023
Article Category: Original article
Online veröffentlicht: 08. Okt. 2023
Seitenbereich: 142 - 146
Eingereicht: 05. Feb. 2023
Akzeptiert: 11. Juni 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.34763/jmotherandchild.20232701.d-23-00047
Schlüsselwörter
© 2023 Zunaira Zulfiqar et al., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Background
Beta-thalassemia major is a transfusion-dependent thalassemia. Both ongoing disease-related inflammatory processes and chronic transfusions lead to iron overload, which is depicted by hyperferritinemia. We aimed to report the prevalence of various dermatological manifestations in beta-thalassemia major patients and their relationship with serum ferritin levels.
Material and methods
This was a cross-sectional study conducted over a period of six months. Beta-thalassemia major patients were consecutively enrolled and examined by a dermatologist who charted any skin conditions, if present. A blood sample was also taken at the same time to check for the serum ferritin levels. Data was analysed using SPSSv25.
Results
A total of 113 patients were included in the study. The mean age of the cohort was 9.32 ± 4.54 years. The mean ferritin level for the cohort was 3334 ± 1676 micrograms per litre. Cutaneous manifestations were seen in 89.4% (n = 101) patients with the common ones namely xerosis (44.2%), freckles (39.8%) and pruritus (44.2%). We noted that serum ferritin levels were significantly higher in those with freckles (p = 0.00288). The cause of pruritus does not appear to be jaundice (p = 0.973). Lastly, number of skin conditions were higher in those with onset of blood transfusions at age less than one year (p = 0.0011).
Conclusion
Dermatological manifestations are a frequently encountered problem in beta-thalassemia major patients. It is important to examine these patients for various skin disorders periodically as this can help improve their quality of life and reduce dermatological-associated morbidity.