Abstract
Re: PC Adams. Genetic testing for hemochromatosis: Diagnostic or confirmatory test for iron overload? Can J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2015;29(1):15-6.
Highlights
MRI is a widely available, reliable and rapid noninvasive diagnostic test
Biopsy is poorly suited for longitudinal patient monitoring. Serum tests, such as ferritin and transferrin saturation, are nonspecific and may be elevated in inflammation and malignancy, while liver iron overload may occur without hyperferritinemia – this limits the usefulness of these tests in evaluating iron overload [2,3]
The signal intensity ratio (SIR) method is widely used in clinical practice given its simplicity and applicability at various magnet strengths [5,6,7]
Summary
MRI is a widely available, reliable and rapid noninvasive diagnostic test. Due to its paramagnetic properties, iron causes local magnetic field distortion on MRI, leading to shortening of longitudinal (T1) and transverse (T2) relaxation times, and especially the transverse relaxation time influenced by magnetic field inhomogeneity (T2*) [1]. The current gold standard for determining LIC is a liver biopsy with spectrophotometry. Two principal MRI techniques have been developed for the noninvasive quantification of liver iron.
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