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- Title
Asymptomatic intracranial aneurysms in beta-thalassemia: a three-year follow-up report.
- Authors
Manara, Renzo; Caiazza, Martina; Di Concilio, Rosanna; Ciancio, Angela; De Michele, Elisa; Maietta, Caterina; Capalbo, Daniela; Russo, Camilla; Roberti, Domenico; Casale, Maddalena; Elefante, Andrea; Esposito, Fabrizio; Ponticorvo, Sara; Russo, Andrea Gerardo; Canna, Antonietta; Cirillo, Mario; Perrotta, Silverio; Tartaglione, Immacolata
- Abstract
<bold>Background: </bold>No information is currently available regarding the natural history of asymptomatic intracranial aneurysms in beta-thalassemia, raising several concerns about their proper management.<bold>Methods: </bold>We performed a prospective longitudinal three-year-long MR-angiography study on nine beta-thalassemia patients (mean-age 40.3 ± 7.5, six females, 8 transfusion dependent) harboring ten asymptomatic intracranial aneurysms. In addition, we analyzed the clinical files of all adult beta-thalassemia patients (160 patients including those followed with MR-angiography, 121 transfusion dependent) referring to our Centers between 2014 and 2019 searching for history of subarachnoid hemorrhage or history of symptomatic intracranial aneurysms.<bold>Results: </bold>At the end of the three-year-long follow-up, no patient showed any change in the size and shape of the aneurysms, none presented new intracranial aneurysms or artery stenoses, none showed new brain vascular-like parenchymal lesions or enlargement of the preexisting ones. Besides, in our database of all adult beta-thalassemia patients, no one had history of subarachnoid hemorrhage or history of symptomatic intracranial aneurysms.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>Incidental asymptomatic intracranial aneurysms do not seem to be associated, in beta-thalassemia, with an increased risk of complications (enlargement or rupture) at least in the short term period, helping to optimize human and economic resources and patient compliance during their complex long-lasting management.
- Subjects
INTRACRANIAL aneurysms; ANTERIOR cerebral artery; PATIENT compliance; SUBARACHNOID hemorrhage; MAGNETIC resonance angiography; NATURAL history
- Publication
Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases, 2020, Vol 15, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
1750-1172
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1186/s13023-020-1302-3