Anabolic therapy in beta-thalassaemia major induced osteoporosis: case report and literature review

Transfusion program and chelating therapy treatment has extended the life expectancy of thalassaemic patient; osteoporosis is considered an important cause of morbidity in adult patients who display increased fracture risk. This is a case report is about a thalassaemic young female with multiple spine fractures (D11, D12 e L2) and lumbar spine DEXA -Tscore = -3,1 and femoral = -3,4. This was in spite of therapy with alendronate 70 mg/week from January 2006 to September 2007. The patient was subsequentently treated for 18 months with 1-34 recombinant human parathyroid hormone and colecalciferol (100.000 U/monthly). After 4 months of therapy, the patient showed a decrease in spinal pain (Roland and Morris Disability Questionnaire) and an improvement of quality of life (Qualeffo) with normalization of osteocalcin and 25-OHcolecalciferol haematic levels after 6 months. Lumbar spine and femoral DEXA -Tscore, at 18 months, rose respectively to -2,5 and -2,4. Thalassaemia-induced osteoporosis is multifactorial and its management is very difficult. Bone marrow expansion, endocrine dysfunction, iron overload and genetic factors all seem to play important roles in the development of low bone mass in these patients. Bisphosfonates have been used in the management of thalassemia induced osteoporosis but there is no data about fracture risk. Anabolic therapy for thalassemic patients requests additional study on a large scale.