Transfusional hemosiderosis is the accumulation of iron in the liver

Liver

The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...

 and/or heart

Heart

The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...

 but also endocrine organs, in patients who receive frequent blood transfusion

Blood transfusion

Blood transfusion is the process of receiving blood products into one's circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used in a variety of medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood...

s (such as those with thalassemia

Thalassemia

Thalassemia is an inherited autosomal recessive blood disease that originated in the Mediterranean region. In thalassemia the genetic defect, which could be either mutation or deletion, results in reduced rate of synthesis or no synthesis of one of the globin chains that make up hemoglobin...

, sickle cell disease, aplastic anemia

Aplastic anemia

Aplastic anemia is a condition where bone marrow does not produce sufficient new cells to replenish blood cells. The condition, per its name, involves both aplasia and anemia...

 or myelodysplastic syndrome

Myelodysplastic syndrome

The myelodysplastic syndromes are a diverse collection of hematological medical conditions that involve ineffective production of the myeloid class of blood cells....

).

Treatment

Treatment is by phlebotomy if anemia is no more an issue, or iron chelating agents: deferoxamine

Deferoxamine

Deferoxamine is a bacterial siderophore produced by the actinobacteria Streptomyces pilosus. It has medical applications as a chelating agent used to remove excess iron from the body...

, deferiprone

Deferiprone

Deferiprone is an oral drug that chelates iron and is used to treat thalassaemia major.It has been licensed for use in Europe and Asia for many years while awaiting approval in Canada and the United States. On October 14, 2011, however, "the U.S...

 or deferasirox

Deferasirox

Deferasirox is a rationally-designed oral iron chelator. Its main use is to reduce chronic iron overload in patients who are receiving long-term blood transfusions for conditions such as beta-thalassemia and other chronic anemias...

. If iron overload has caused end-organ damage, this is generally irreversible and may require transplantation

Organ transplant

Organ transplantation is the moving of an organ from one body to another or from a donor site on the patient's own body, for the purpose of replacing the recipient's damaged or absent organ. The emerging field of regenerative medicine is allowing scientists and engineers to create organs to be...

.

Notable patients

Ted DeVita

Ted DeVita

Ted DeVita was a victim of severe aplastic anemia who was forced to live in a sterile hospital room for eight and a half years....

, the "bubble boy", died of transfusional iron overload from too many blood transfusion

Blood transfusion

Blood transfusion is the process of receiving blood products into one's circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used in a variety of medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood...

s.