Joint diseases as the early clinical symptom of hemochromatosis
Walther, B.; Zönnchen, B.; Hehlmann, R.; Schattenkirchner, M.
Fortschritte der Medizin 99(10): 321-325
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0015-8178 PMID: 7216095 Document Number: 173444
In three patients arthropathy was the earliest symptom of hemochromatosis. Two of these patients had a precirrhotic stage of hemochromatosis. The liver histology of the third patient showed a beginning cirrhosis. The serum iron ranged from 212 to 260 micrograms/dl. The transferrin saturation was 95-100%. Serum iron and transferrin should be determined in all patients with arthralgias, since arthropathy may be the first clinical sign of hemochromatosis.