Iron Overload and Growth Velocity in Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Anemia
Iron Overload and Growth Velocity in Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Anemia
Iron overload impaired growth in Thalassemia patients due to iron deposition in the endocrine
 glands, including the hypophysis and gonads. The issue of iron overload in Sickle Cell Anemia
 is recently studied more extensively and preliminary studies shows that endocrine damage is
 rarer in those patients.

 Growth velocity was not systematically studied in patients with Iron Overload, even in
 thalassemia patients in spite several studies that assess the endocrine function in those
 patients. In Sickle Cell Patients this issue was not studied.

 The purpose of this study is to assess the growth velocity in a cohort of Thalassemia Major
 and Intermedia patients and compare the results to another group of Sickle Cell patients,
 including Sickle cell thalassemia.
Growth velocity, endocrine function and iron overload status will be studied in the patients
 that are in follow up at the Pediatric Hematology Unit, at the Ha'Emek Medical Center.

 Patients who were lost from follow up or insufficient data about growth in the past will not
 included in the study.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  All patients in follow up with available medical charts.

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Patients lost from follow up or without enough data to calculate growth velocity or
 clinical and laboratory endocrine assessment or missing data about iron status.