title: Clinical spectrum and management of haemochromatosis.
abstract: Haemochromatosis is one of the most common inborn errors of metabolism. In prospective epidemiological studies the frequency of haemochromatosis is 0.0037 (76/20333 subjects) for homozygotes which corresponds to a gene frequency of 0.061 and a frequency of heterozygotes of 0.115. Abnormality in liver function tests, weakness and lethargy, skin hyperpigmentation, diabetes mellitus, arthralgia, impotence and ECG abnormalities are the most frequent findings and symptoms at diagnosis. In recent years about 50% of patients were detected without having liver cirrhosis and 20% of patients did not have any symptoms and pathology except iron overload. Survival analyses in long-term studies showed that in the absence of cirrhosis and diabetes, iron removal by phlebotomy therapy prevents further tissue damage and guarantees a normal life expectancy. Patients with massive and long-lasting iron overload had a worse prognosis than those with less severe iron excess. Iron removal in general ameliorated liver disease, weakness and cardiac abnormalities, and also prevented the progression of endocrine alterations. Therapy, however, did not influence insulin-dependent diabetes. Most deaths in patients with hereditary haemochromatosis were caused by liver cancers which often occurred many years after complete iron removal. In patients with haemochromatosis, liver cirrhosis, cardiomyopathy, and diabetes mellitus are also significantly more frequent causes of deaths when compared with the general population. Further strategies have to evaluate the design of screening programmes in order to diagnose more patients in the precirrhotic and asymptomatic stage.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik, Abteilung für Gastroenterologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Niederau
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Stremmel
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Strohmeyer
mesh_terms: D001815:Bloodletting; D006432:Hemochromatosis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D007501:Iron