Hepatic iron

level of iron in the liver

Description
The hepatic iron concentration is a reliable indicator of total body iron stores in patients with thalassemia major. In patients with transfusion-related iron overload, repeated determinations of the hepatic iron concentration can provide a quantitative means of measuring the long-term iron balance. The hepatic iron content can be determined by liver biopsy and in recent years by magnetic susceptibility or by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).