SERUM FERRITIN

COMPARISON OF BONE AGE OF THALASEMIC PATIENTS 9-15 YEARS

Abstract

Objectives: The aims is to determine whether there is any difference between the
bone age of thalassemic children with chronological age and serum ferritin and its correlation
with normal children of the same age. Study design: This was cross sectional analytical study.
Place & Duration: The study was conducted as age sex matched normal control, from Fatimid
and Khyber Teaching Hospital Peshawar during August 2014 to January 2015. Material &
Methods: A total 156 samples were selected conveniently to make comparison of bone age
between thalassemic children (age 9-15years) and control. A structure data collection check list
was used to collect data X-ray findings (bone age) and Ferritin level. Data were analyzed using
SPSS version 20 and MS Excel. The frequency, proportion, percentages, ratio, means and SD
were calculated. Student’s t- test was applied to compare the means of biochemical measures
between the two groups, P value ≤ 0.05. Results: The results indicate total 156 children were
included with mean age 11.9 ± 2.2, {97(62.2%) were being males and 59 (37.8%) were being
females}. Out of thalassemic (n= 76) majority 49 (62.8%) were male as compare to female
29(37.2%). The bone age was significantly different from control (p = 0001). Similarly the mean
ferritin concentrations were also different (P = 0001). Conclusion: Serum ferritin level could be
one of the indictors for osteoporosis and thus may play an imperative role in the management
of thalassemia patients by early diagnosis and treatment.