[ Home | Browse | Resources | What's Next | Help | Comments?]
Hemochromatosis
Also spelled HAEMOCHROMATOSIS,
also called IRON STORAGE DISEASE, or BRONZE, inborn
metabolic defect characterized by an increased absorption of
iron, which accumulates in body tissues. The clinical manifestations
include skin pigmentation, diabetes, enlargement of the spleen
and liver, heart failure, and general weakness and lassitude.
In males, the symptoms are usually noted after 35 years of
age, and in females, after menopause, when iron is no longer
lost through menstruation and pregnancy. Treatment consists
of the removal of blood at regular intervals to decrease the
concentration of body iron.
Copyright (c) 1995 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. All Rights Reserved