Magnetic resonance imaging diagnosis of iron overload in a leukemic patient after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Background: Iron overload (IO) is increasingly recognized as a common cause of hepatic dysfunction in leukemic patients who have undergone allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a noninvasive method of making the diagnosis. CASE REPORT: A patient with acute lymphocytic leukemia presented with severe liver dysfunction during salvage chemotherapy for leukemia relapse after undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The liver dysfunction was originally attributed to graft-versus-host disease; however, findings on MRI and liver biopsy were consistent with hepatic IO. Conclusions: As illustrated by our case, MRI can be a reliable, noninvasive modality that should be employed in the work-up of these patients.