Desferrioxamine-related ocular toxicity: A case report.

A 29-year-old lady receiving repeated blood transfusions for β thalassemia since childhood, presented with rapidly deteriorating symptoms of night blindness and peripheral visual field loss. She was recently commenced on high-dose intravenous desferrioxamine for reducing the systemic iron overload. Clinical and investigative findings were consistent with desferrioxamine-related pigmentary retinopathy and optic neuropathy. Recovery was partial following cessation of desferrioxamine. This report highlights the ocular side-effects of desferrioxamine mesylate and the need to be vigilant in patients on high doses of desferrioxamine.

[Hearing status of thalassemic patients treated with deferoxamine]

Major beta thalassemia is the most common inherited anemia with high prevalence in Iran and hearing loss is one of its side effects. The present study aimed to determine the hearing status of patients with major thalassemia and its relationship with serum ferritin level, period of blood transfusion and deferoxamine administration. This descriptive-analytic study was performed on 80 thalassemia major patients [36 Male and 44 Female] aged 4-32 [14.2 +/- 2.3] who were referred to Bou Ali Hospital for two years. The studied variables include age, gender, serum ferritin level, amount and duration of Desferal injection and hearing level. All subjects went under evaluation for their otologic and audiometric status. The collected data were analyzed using t-test and ANOVA with SPSS software. The findings of the study indicated that 38 patients [47%] had entirely hearing loss. Among these 38 patients, 17 patients had sensory neural type f hearing loss 12 patients had conductive and 7 patients had mixed type of hearing problems. The results showed a significant relationship [p<0.05] between hearing loss and serum ferritin level and the dosage and duration of Desferal administration. Hearing impairment may develop with increasing dosage of deferoxamine. Periodic follow up and physical examination is recommended to prevent hearing impairment in major thalassemia

Desferrioxamine-induced ototoxicity in haemodialyzed patients

Forty uremic patients on regular hemodialysis for 44.2 +/- 19.8 months were followed up audiometrically for ototoxicity of desferrioxamine [DFO] which was taken for the treatment of aluminum toxicity. The hearing threshold, especially at frequencies 500, 1000, 2000, 4000 and 8000 Hz and the speech reaction threshold were significantly increased, while the speech discrimination score was significantly decreased. On the other hand, the percentages of tinnitus and vertigo were insignificantly increased after DFO. It is concluded that DFO may precipitate sensorineural hearing loss that was found to be dose dependent. Thus regular audiometric examination has to be considered in hemodialyzed patients receiving DFO for early detection of its ototoxicity