Mediterr J Hematol Infect Dis 2011; 3; Open Journal S MEDITERRANEAN J Perspectives Thalassemia and Venous Thr Julien Succar, Khaled M. Musallam and Department of Internal Medicine, Hem Beirut, Lebanon Correspondence to: Ali T. Taher, MD, Research, Department of Internal Medicine 1107 2020, Beirut, Lebanon. Phone: +961-1 Competing interests: The authors hav Published: May 25, 2011 Received: January 21, 2011 Accepted: May 24, 2011 Mediterr J Hematol Infect Dis 2011, 3: e20 This article is available from: http://www.m This is an Open Access article dist (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0 provided the original work is properly cited Abstract: Although the life expect few decades, patients still suffer f of a high incidence of thromboem identification of a hypercoagulabl mechanisms leading to hypercoag thalassemia intermedia being th compared to other types of tha management are also discussed. Introduction: The thalassemias, a gro disorders of hemoglobin synthesis, common monogenetic disease worldw diverse phenotypes exist within t syndromes. At one end of the spectrum minor, a clinically silent, mildly hy microcytic anemia. At the other end major (TM) which refers to those clinical course is characterized by pr who are presented to medical attention of life, and who subsequently requir transfusions for survival. 2 The ter intermedia (TI) was first suggested to d who had clinical manifestations that we be termed minor yet too mild to be although there remains substantial over System JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY AND INFE www.mjhid.org ISSN 2035-3006 romboembolism d Ali T. Taher matology-Oncology Division, American University FRCP, Professor of Medicine, Hematology-Oncolog e, American University of Beirut Medical Center. P.O 1-350000; Fax: +961-1-370814; Email: ataher@aub.ed ve declared that no competing interests exist. 011025, DOI 10.4084/MJHID.2011.025 mjhid.org/article/view/7890 tributed under the terms of the Creative Co 0 ), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and d. tancy of thalassemia patients has markedly from many complications of this congenita mbolic events, mainly in thalassemia inte le state in these patients. In this review, the gulability in thalassemia are highlighted, he group with the highest incidence of alassemia. Clinical experience and avail oup of inherited are the most wide. 1 Extremely the thalassemia m is thalassemia ypochromic and d is thalassemia patients whose rofound anemia, n in the first year re regular blood rm thalassemia describe patients ere too severe to e termed major, rlap between the three conditions. 3 Our unde and pathophysiological m disease process in patients increased over the past de highlight the pathophysio erythropoiesis, chronic an overload secondary to incre However, the extreme expression in TI patients l observed clinical complica complications of TI that w higher rate than in thromboembolic events (T hypercoagulability in patien translation into clinical TEE TI patients. ECTIOUS DISEASES y of Beirut Medical Centre, gy Division, Associate Chair, O. Box: 11-0236, Riad El-Solh du.lb ommons Attribution License reproduction in any medium, y improved over the last al disease. The presence ermedia, has led to the e molecular and cellular with a special focus on f thrombotic events as lable clues on optimal erstanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the s with TI has substantially ecade. 4 Three main factors ology of TI, ineffective nemia/hemolysis, and iron eased intestinal absorption. 4 diversity in phenotypic led to a wide variation in ations. 5 Among the clinical were found to occur at a patients with TM are TEE). 6-7 We herein review nts with thalassemia and its E, with special emphasis on