Effect of venesection on bone mineral density in an eugonadal woman with haemochromatosis.
BACKGROUND
A 41-year-old premenopausal woman with newly diagnosed haemochromatosis was found to have osteopenia on screening bone mineral densitometry.


RESULTS
Liver biopsy showed grade 3 haemochromatosis with an hepatic iron index of 4. Investigation for secondary factors for osteopenia revealed no cause. The patient was clinically and biochemically eugonadal. Following venesection of 8 L blood (4 g iron) over 17 months and calcium supplementation, her bone density rose significantly. Neck of femur bone density increased by 6.0% over 13 months and lumbar vertebral bone density increased by 7.2%. There are no previous reports of response of bone density to venesection in eugonadal patients or in women with haemochromatosis.
Department of Endocrinology, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW, Australia.
E J
EJ
Hibbert
G R
GR
Fulcher
L
L
Coyle
F
F
Gates
P
P
Clifton-Bligh
D
D
Stiel
D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D015519:Bone Density; D001851:Bone Diseases, Metabolic / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D003720:Densitometry; D005260:Female; D005272:Femur Neck / Q000378:metabolism; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006432:Hemochromatosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007006:Hypogonadism / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000378:metabolism; D018962:Phlebotomy; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood
D013972:Thyrotropin