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Thalassemia

Thalassemia: Introduction

Thalassemia: Thalassemia is an inherited disease of faulty synthesis of hemoglobin. The name is derived from the Greek word "thalassa" meaning "the sea" because the condition was ... more about Thalassemia.

Thalassemia: Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder characterized by abnormal synthesis of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin consists of two main protein chains called alpha and beta. There are two subtypes of the disorder (alpha and beta) depending on what portion of the hemoglobin is abnormally synthesized. Each of these subtypes can be further classified depending on the number of thalassemia genes involved. A total of four genes is needed to make each ? protein chains and two genes are needed to make each ? chain. The main symptom is anemia, the severity of which can vary amongst patients depending on how many defective genes are involved. More detailed information about the symptoms, causes, and treatments of Thalassemia is available below.

Symptoms of Thalassemia

• Symptoms of thalassemia major (a genetic recessive disease); also called Cooley's anemia:
  • Hemolytic anemia
  • Anemia - and related symptoms of anemia
  • Pallor
  • Fatigue
• more symptoms...»

See full list of 29 symptoms of Thalassemia

Treatments for Thalassemia

• Blood transfusions
• Pain relief medications
• Genetic counselling
• Mild cases may not require treatment. Severe cases may require blood transfusions, removal of iron buildup in body (chelation), surgical removal of spleen or allogeneic hematopoietic transplant
• Treatment of thalassemia depends on the type and severity of the inherited defect. Treatments include:
• more treatments...»

Read more about treatments for Thalassemia

Home Diagnostic Testing

Home medical testing related to Thalassemia:

• Fatigue: Related Home Tests:
  • Home Anemia Tests
  • Home Thyroid Gland Function Tests
• more...»

Wrongly Diagnosed with Thalassemia?

• Misdiagnosis of Thalassemia
• Failure to diagnose Thalassemia
• Undiagnosed: Thalassemia

Thalassemia: Related Patient Stories

• medicine for thalassemia

Thalassemia: Deaths

Read more about Deaths and Thalassemia.

Types of Thalassemia

• Alpha thalassemia
• Beta thalassemia
• Delta thalassemia
• Delta-beta thalassemia - a rare type similar to beta thalassemia
• Thalassemia major - homozygous form of beta thalassemia
• more types...»

See full list of 7 Types of Thalassemia

Diagnostic Tests for Thalassemia

• Genetic tests
• Prenatal genetic tests - to check a fetus for Thalassemia.
• more tests...»

Read more about tests for Thalassemia

Thalassemia: Complications

Review possible medical complications related to Thalassemia:

• Anemia - see also symptoms of anemia
• Leg ulcers
• Stillbirth - homozygous alpha thalassemia, the double dominant form of the condition causes stillbirth.
• Fractures
• Easy fracturing
• Skeleton deformity
• Thickening skull
• more complications...»

Causes of Thalassemia

Read more about causes of Thalassemia.

Disease Topics Related To Thalassemia

Research the causes of these diseases that are similar to, or related to, Thalassemia:

• RNA-splicing mutations
• Hb Malay
• Hb E
• Hb Knossos
• Hb Lepore
• more related diseases...»

Thalassemia: Undiagnosed Conditions

Commonly undiagnosed diseases in related medical categories:

• Fatigue Disorders -- serious diseases that may be undiagnosed:
  • Anemia -- Undiagnosed
  • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome -- Undiagnosed
  • Fatigue -- Undiagnosed
  • Lyme Disease -- Undiagnosed
  • Thyroid Disease -- Undiagnosed
  • more ...»
• more undiagnosed conditions...»

Misdiagnosis and Thalassemia

Unnecessary hysterectomies due to undiagnosed bleeding disorder in women: The bleeding disorder called Von Willebrand's disease is quite common in women, but often fails to be correctly...read more »

Vitamin B12 deficiency under-diagnosed: The condition of Vitamin B12 deficiency is a possible misdiagnosis of various conditions, such as multiple sclerosis (see symptoms of...read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Thalassemia

Thalassemia: Research Doctors & Specialists

Research related physicians and medical specialists:

• Blood Health Specialists (Hematology):
  • Hematology (Blood Specialists)
  • Pediatric Hematology / Oncology (Child Cancer/Leukemia)
  • Hematopathology (Blood Diagnostics)
• more specialists...»

Other doctor, physician and specialist research services:

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Thalassemia: Animations

More Thalassemia animations & videos

Prognosis for Thalassemia

More about prognosis of Thalassemia

Research about Thalassemia

Visit our research pages for current research about Thalassemia treatments.

Clinical Trials for Thalassemia

The US based website ClinicalTrials.gov lists information on both federally and privately supported clinical trials using human volunteers.

Some of the clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for Thalassemia include:

• Thalassemia (Cooley's Anemia) Clinical Research Network (TCRN) - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - Pamidronate,Ribavirin,Deferoxamine,Deferiprone,Arginine
• Chelation Therapy of Iron Overload With Pyridoxal Isonicotinoyl Hydrazone - This study has been completed (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - chelation therapy
• Evaluation of Subcutaneous Desferrioxamine as Treatment for Transfusional Hemochromatosis - This study has been completed (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - deferoxamine
• Stem Cell Transplantation After Reduced-Dose Chemotherapy for Patients With Sickle Cell Disease or Thalassemia - This study is no longer recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - Busulfex,fludarabine
• 5-Azacytidine and Phenylbutyrate to Treat Severe Thalassemia - This study has been completed (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - 5-Azacytidine
• more trials...»

See full list of 50 Clinical Trials for Thalassemia

Statistics for Thalassemia

• Medical statistics for Thalassemia
• Prevalence and incidence statistics for Thalassemia
• Death and Mortality statistics for Thalassemia
• Society statistics for Thalassemia

Thalassemia: Broader Related Topics

• Anemia
• Blood conditions
• Genetic Disease
• Autosomal Genetic Diseases
• Autosomal Recessive Genetic Diseases
• Recessive Genetic Diseases
• more types...»

Types of Thalassemia

Thalassemia Message Boards

Related forums and medical stories:

• Blood Conditions (151)
  • Anemia - ice chewing
  • small red spots on arms legs back chest
  • Low Platelets, Low white blood count
  • Sc sickle cell disease(another type?)
  • tingly, heavy arms
  • More user stories

User Interactive Forums

Read about other experiences, ask a question about Thalassemia, or answer someone else's question, on our message boards:

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• Tell us your medical story.
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• What is the best treatment for this?
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Article Excerpts about Thalassemia

Thalassemia is an inherited disease of faulty synthesis of hemoglobin. The name is derived from the Greek word "thalassa" meaning "the sea" because the condition was first described in populations living near the Mediterranean Sea; however, the disease is also prevalent in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. (Source: Genes and Disease by the National Center for Biotechnology)

Definitions of Thalassemia:

An inherited form of anemia caused by faulty synthesis of hemoglobin - (Source - WordNet 2.1)

Thalassemia is listed as a "rare disease" by the Office of Rare Diseases (ORD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This means that Thalassemia, or a subtype of Thalassemia, affects less than 200,000 people in the US population.
Source - National Institutes of Health (NIH)

 » Next page: What is Thalassemia?

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