Oral iron chelator deferasirox in the treatment of secondary hemochromatosis following bone marrow transplantation in a patient with severe aplastic anemia

Abstract

Iron overload sometimes complicates the clinical course of bone marrow transplantation and can cause damage to liver and heart function. A patient with post-transplantation secondary hemochromatosis was treated with deferasirox, which not only normalized ferritin levels, but also reduced hepatic iron to normal values as measured by biosusceptometry with a superconducting quantum interference device. Side effects were minimal. The use of deferasirox to reduce post-transplant iron burden merits evaluation in a larger patient population.