Abstract:
Iron overload develops as a result of its excessive accumulation in parenchymal organs, which subsequently leads to their damage and dysfunction. The assessment of the body's iron storage is carried out indirectly by determining the concentration of ferritin in the blood serum. However, the concentration of ferritin in the patient's blood serum is associated with the presence of inflammation, with ascorbate deficiency, and also depends on liver function, which significantly limits the diagnostic value. Iron by nature is a ferromagnet, its nuclei have their own magnetic moments, which, when hitting a strong magnetic moment, line up parallel to each other and greatly shorten the relaxation time of the magnetic field. In the last 20 years, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been actively used to determine and calculate the amount of accumulated iron in various organs - liver, heart, pancreas, pituitary gland, etc.
