Abstract

Abnormalities of pulmortary function have been described in hypertransfused patients with thalassemia. We evaluated puimonary function tests of 15 homozygous beta thalassemia patients, 9 boys, 6 girls, between the ages of 7-25 years, who were transfused and chelated regularly. None of the patients had acute puimonary disease or familial lung problems. The values of vital capacity, forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 minute, forced expiratory volume in 1 minute/vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 minute/ forced vital capacity, peak expiratory flow rate, maximum volume at 25-50-75 % vital capacity were evaluated in these patients, and in 10 patients, single-breath carbon monoxide diffusion was measured. In 10 patients pulmonary function tests were normal, there were obstructive lung disease in 3 patients, restrictive and combined lung disease in 1 patient, and carbon monoxide diffusion was normal in 3 of the 10 patients. These results indicate that abnormalities of puimonary function tests are common in thalassemia and that patient age, transfusion history and iron accumulation are not important factors in the genesis of these pulmonary bnormalities.