Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2007 Feb;21(2):101-4.
doi: 10.1155/2007/619401.

The myths and realities of hemochromatosis

Affiliations
Review

The myths and realities of hemochromatosis

Melanie D Beaton et al. Can J Gastroenterol. 2007 Feb.

Abstract

Hemochromatosis is a common genetic condition and yet there are still a number of misperceptions surrounding the diagnosis and management of this condition. Hemochromatosis affects both men and women. Typical patients do not have alcoholism or viral hepatitis, and often have normal liver enzymes. Clinical expression is highly variable. Genetic testing is widely available and particularly useful in family studies. Hemochromatosis can be readily diagnosed and treated. The purpose of the present review is to address the medical myths and misconceptions of hemochromatosis.

L’hémochromatose est un trouble génétique courant, mais il existe encore un certain nombre de conceptions erronées au sujet de son diagnostic et de sa prise en charge. L’hémochromatose touche à la fois les hommes et les femmes. D’ordinaire, les patients ne sont pas alcooliques et ne souffrent pas d’hépatite virale, et leurs enzymes hépatiques sont souvent normaux. L’expression clinique de la maladie est hautement variable. Les tests génétiques sont facilement accessibles et particulièrement utiles dans le cadre d’études familiales. L’hémochromatose peut être diagnostiquée et traitée rapidement. La présente analyse vise à examiner les mythes et les conceptions erronées à son sujet.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Adams PC, Reboussin DM, Barton JC, et al. Hemochromatosis and Iron Overload Screening (HEIRS) Study Research Investigators Hemochromatosis and iron-overload screening in a racially diverse population. N Engl J Med. 2005;352:1769–78. - PubMed
    1. Adams PC. Hemochromatosis case definition: Out of focus? Nat Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2006;3:178–9. - PubMed
    1. Moirand R, Adams PC, Bicheler V, Brissot P, Deugnier Y. Clinical features of genetic hemochromatosis in women compared with men. Ann Intern Med. 1997;127:105–10. - PubMed
    1. MacDonald RA. Idiopathic hemochromatosis. Genetic or acquired? Arch Intern Med. 1963;112:184–90. - PubMed
    1. Adams PC, Agnew S. Alcoholism in hereditary hemochromatosis revisited: Prevalence and clinical consequences among homozygous siblings. Hepatology. 1996;23:724–7. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources