Cardiac abnormalities in the thalassaemia syndromes.

Cardiac complications are the leading cause of death in patients with the thalassaemia syndromes. The cardiac abnormalities may be the result of chronic anaemia or iron overload. The cardiac status was evaluated in 30 patients with thalassaemia to determine whether the structural and functional changes could be related to the degree of anaemia or to other factors suggesting iron overload. Clinical, radiological, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic methods were employed. The study provided evidence that cardiac abnormalities were due to undertransfusion. Echocardiography provides a reliable, noninvasive means of assessing cardiac abnormalities in patients with thalassaemia.