Determination of iron status in women attending genitourinary clinics with pruritus vulvae.
OBJECTIVE
To compare iron status in women with pruritus vulvae and in asymptomatic controls.


METHODS
42 women with pruritus vulvae and 42 asymptomatic broadly age-matched controls were enrolled in this prospective study. The outcome measures assessed were serum iron, serum ferritin, total iron-binding capacity, haemoglobin and transferrin saturation.


RESULTS
12 (29%) participants and 10 (24%) controls were iron deficient; 1 (2%) participant and 1 (2%) control had laboratory-defined iron deficiency anaemia. Participants generally had lower levels of iron markers than controls, with differences (95% confidence interval (CI)) of -3.5 microg/l (-9.89 to 6.99) for serum ferritin (p = 0.73), -4.9 mmol/l (-8.12 to 0.12) for serum iron (p = 0.06) and -5.5 mmol/l (-5.75 to 1.46) for total iron-binding capacity (p = 0.24). No significant difference in haemoglobin or mean cell volume was shown between the two groups (haemoglobin: p = 0.17, 95% CI -0.83 to 0.15; mean cell volume: p = 0.15, 95% CI -4.59 to 0.73).


CONCLUSIONS
This study does not provide evidence to support the routine determination of iron status in patients presenting to genitourinary medicine clinics with pruritus vulvae from all causes.
Bates
S M
SM
Department of Genito-Urinary Medicine, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS FT, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Glossop Road, Sheffield S10, UK. sylviabates@yahoo.co.uk
Dilke-Wing
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood*; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011539:Pruritus Vulvae / Q000097:blood*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000097:blood*
D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron