Chronic viral hepatitis in thalassemic liver disease. A long-term study in patients with acute hepatitis with nontransfusion-dependent thalassemia minor

The thalassemias: oral manifestations and complications

The signs, symptoms, and potential complications of the thalassemias are discussed. A case of thalassemia minor is presented, with emphasis on how the condition may affect the dental management of the patient.

Hepatitis B or non-A, non-B virus infection in multitransfused thalassaemic patients

We undertook a four year study of 128 thalassaemic patients who had undergone several transfusions, to determine the incidence of hepatitis B virus markers and the activities of transaminases in their sera each month. The results showed that the possibility of these patients contracting hepatitis B virus infection is still high, although on only one occasion was a transient antigenaemia found, indicating low viral replication. Furthermore, the probability of contact with hepatitis B virus increases with the number of transfusions and, therefore, with age. About 25% of these patients were positive for hepatitis B markers and 80% for other hepatitis markers including the case of cytomegalovirus hepatitis.