Thalassemia

Thalassemia is the most common form of inherited anemia worldwide. The World Health Organization reports suggest that about 60 000 infants are born with a major thalassemia every year. Although individuals originating from the tropical belt are most at risk, it is a growing global health problem due to extensive population migrations. Despite important advances on curative approaches such as stem cell transplantation and promising results of gene therapy, blood transfusions and iron chelation still remain as cornerstones of disease management. The purpose of this article is to focus on mainly the clinical aspects and management of beta-thalassemia major.