Role of Iron Chelation Therapy in Thalassemia Major

iron chelating therapy is the only method available for preventing early death caused mainly by myocardial and hepatic iron toxicity. Although desferrioxamine (DFO) has been available for treating transfusional iron overload from the early 1960s, the era of modern and effective iron chelating therapy started only 20 years ago with the introduction of subcutaneous DFO infusions by portable pumps. Today, long-term DFO therapy is an integral part of the management of thalassemia and other transfusion-dependent anemias, with a major impact on well-being and survival[1,2].