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Mehta V, Kirubarajan A, Sabouhanian A, Jayawardena SM, Chandrakumaran P, Thangavelu N, Cader R, Mettananda S, Bandara D, Khan S, Weatherall DJ, Allen A, Premawardhena AP, Olivieri NF. Leg Ulcers: A Report in Patients with Hemoglobin E Beta Thalassemia and Review of the Literature in Severe Beta Thalassemia. Acta Haematol 2021; 145:334-343. [PMID: 34753145 DOI: 10.1159/000520731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leg ulcers are a frequent complication in patients with the inherited hemoglobin disorders. In thalassemia, the literature is limited, and factors associated with the development of leg ulcers in hemoglobin E (HbE) beta thalassemia, the most common form of severe beta-thalassemia worldwide, have not previously been reported. METHODS We reviewed all available medical records of patients with HbE beta thalassemia to document the onset of leg ulcers at the 2 largest treatment centers in Sri Lanka. We reviewed the literature to identify studies reporting outcomes of interventions for ulcers in severe thalassemia. RESULTS Of a total of 255 actively registered patients with HbE thalassemia in the 2 centers, 196 patient charts were evaluable. A leg ulcer with a documented date of onset was recorded in 45 (22%) of 196 evaluable patients, aged (mean ± SEM) 22.2 ± 1.4 years. Most had been irregularly transfused; steady-state hemoglobin was 6.4 ± 0.2 g/dL. Treatment achieving healing in 17 patients included transfusions, antibiotics, oral zinc, wound toileting, and skin grafting. CONCLUSION Leg ulcers may be more common in HbE beta thalassemia than in other forms of thalassemia. A systematic approach to treatment will be needed to document the prevalence and factors placing such patients at risk for leg ulcers. Controlled trials to evaluate the optimal treatment of this common complication are indicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikita Mehta
- Arts and Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Amir Sabouhanian
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | - Nila Thangavelu
- Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Refai Cader
- Policy Analysis and Development, Ministry of Health, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - Sachith Mettananda
- Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
| | - Dayananda Bandara
- National Thalassaemia Centre, Kurunegala, Sri Lanka
- Teaching Hospital Kurunegala, Kurunegala, Sri Lanka
| | - Shawn Khan
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - David J Weatherall
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Angela Allen
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Nancy F Olivieri
- Pediatrics, Medicine and Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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