Whole liver iron overload measurement by a non cryogenic magnetic susceptometer

Abstract

Abstract. Assessment of body–iron accumulation is essential for managing therapy in diseases such as thalassemia, hereditary hemochromatosis and other anemias. The invasive liver biopsy leads to large error due to the heterogeneous distribution of iron deposition in the liver. The susceptometer presented herein measures the difference (iron overload) between the total amount of iron within the patient's liver and the quantity in the liver of a normal person with the same anthropometric data. All of its components operate at room temperature. Since February 05, about 150 patients and 90 healthy volunteer controls have been measured. The total iron content of a normal liver ranges from about 0.5 g to 1 g. Iron overloads up to 18 ± 1 g have been measured. The reproducibility of the iron overload of the same patients, measured after a relatively short period of time, is better than 0.5 g. The data obtained shows that this susceptometer is a reliable instrument for the diagnosis of liver iron overload and for the follow-up further treatment. It is simple to operate, managed directly in the Clinical Center and more affordable than other competing techniques.